Rescue Me
by Rocketshipper
Summary: Rocksteady and Bebop never questioned their roles as Shredder's henchmen, especially when the places they came from were so much worse. But everything changed the day they met a young boy named Tyler and discovered in themselves something they never thought they had; the ability to care. A TMNT fanfic. Features some Rocksteady/OC shipping later.
1. Prologue: A Surprising Visitor

Rescue Me

-Hey, it's Rocketshipper again, here with another fanfic. This time it's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Whoo! When I was a kid I LOVED the cartoon show and watched it all the time. I must have rented the first season VHS tapes from the video store dozens of times over the years, as well as the live action movies, though I never actually watched much of the series on TV, so I never saw much beyond season 3. Eventually the series went off the air and I tired of renting the same handful of episodes and stopped watching, and didn't really have the motivation to pick up the DVDs or check out the newer shows and comics or anything UNTIL I heard about the anniversary crossover movie, Turtles Forever. That got me interested in the 2003 4kids series which turned out to be AMAZING, and just like that I was back into the franchise all the way. I re-watched the 80s show, started reading the comics (both the original Mirage series and IDW's new ongoing TMNT series) and even started watching the new CGI Nick show. And since I was a little kid my favorite characters in the franchise have always been Bebop and Rocksteady. I just love them! They were like the Team Rocket of the Turtle franchise. But unlike TR in Pokemon, they never really got much development in the 80s show beyond their dimwitted bad guy personalities, which always disappointed me. And I've never been able to find much TMNT fanfiction featuring the two of them (though a couple I have found by IndigoYeti and One Small Monkey have been excellent!) So I ended up coming up with my own story! I've had the idea for a pretty long time, but I ended up waiting until I rewatched the series again before trying to write it, and I'm glad I waited because there were still a lot of little elements here and there that didn't solidify until very recently. One of them was even the title and what it references ^^. So I hope everyone who decides to read enjoys this. I'm going to do things a little differently this time, and upload one or two chapters at a time on a schedule, instead of uploading the whole thing all at once. But don't worry, the entire story is already written, so it won't be orphaned or anything, it will all eventually be uploaded. As for the rest of the usual stuff, you know the drill. I don't own the rights to the TMNT characters or the other various pop-culture elements I utilized or made reference to (shhh. spoilers!), this is just for fun, not for any kind of profit. And that's it. See you at the end! Oh and this is obviously set in the 80s cartoon universe, taking place at some point after the end of the TV show and Turtles Forever, though I did bring in a few more realistic, grounded elements that wouldn't have typically shown up in the actual cartoon. Real guns actually exist, people can get hurt, a few things like that. So without further ado, I present my story!

Extra note: Well, maybe a little more ado. As will be pretty clear from the prologue chapter, this story contains some more overt spiritual elements to it than some of my previous fanfics. So if that kind of thing bothers you, or if you just think it doesn't mesh well with TMNT, then this may not be the best story for you. It will also be pretty serious at times; there is some of the 80's show silliness here and there, but overall it is a pretty serious story, even if it's set in the 80s verse. But if that hasn't scared you away, then enjoy!-

-Prologue-

A Surprising Visitor

Father Anthony walked out into the dimly lit sanctuary of the Church of St. John the Baptist as he continued the evening routine he performed every weekday night after the 5:30 mass. The room was now mostly empty, though a few parishioners still lingered in the pews, reading their Bibles or offering silent prayers to the saints above. Anthony walked towards the pulpit to begin extinguishing the candles that were still burning nearby when something caught his eye. The large man who had snuck in and lingered at the very back of the sanctuary about halfway through the Mass service was still there, leaning against the back wall where the shadows were the deepest.

Of course people often slipped in and watched from the very back during services, usually standing away from the pews and other people and near the doors where they might be able to slip out just as stealthily, should something end up scaring them off. Sometimes these were just people checking the scene out, dipping their toes in to see if this was a service or congregation that they might want to join, but many times these people were those who would not normally feel comfortable just walking straight into a church and sitting on the front row, like a "regular person". People who, for many varied reasons, might not feel comfortable or welcome inside the church proper or with the rest of the regular attendees, but who were still drawn to come, standing on the outskirts to hear whatever they could of the message that they often felt they might not be worthy to receive. Father Anthony in particular loved to greet these people whenever he could; to learn their stories and to try and make it clear to them that his congregation was an open and loving one, happy to welcome whomever wished to enter and fellowship, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual struggles, social standing, or the number and intensity of past mistakes. He had a special heart for those who were seeking but struggling with being able to enter a church and feel like they belonged there, he wanted everyone to be able to come freely to this church without fear. And so it was that Father Anthony decided to put his daily routine on hold for the moment and approach this man; to see if he was one of those who just needed a warm and sincere invitation to bring themselves out into the open.

As Anthony walked towards the back of the sanctuary, approaching the man, he noticed for the second time just how big the person was. He was easily a foot or so taller than Anthony, and extremely large and wide in his torso and shoulders. Anthony thought that he looked to have the build of a weight lifter or a wrestler, though he also thought he saw a bit of a beer belly in front as well. He stood too far back in the shadows to get a clear look at his clothing or what he really looked like, but Anthony thought that the man's outline, especially around the head, looked a bit strange, and wondered if maybe this man lingered in the dark because of some physical appearance issue for which he was ashamed. The man had been leaning against the wall in a posture indicating thought, but he suddenly jerked as if startled when Anthony approached and stepped back even further away from the light.

Anthony stopped and smiled warmly; pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one hand as he held up the other in a greeting. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he began, "I'm Father Anthony; I saw you come in earlier and since you're still here I thought I'd welcome you personally. Did you enjoy the service?"

There was a brief pause and Anthony wondered if the guy was just going to try and slip away, but then the man replied. "Yeah, it was nice." He said, "The music was really soothin. Don't know if I understood much of da message dough." His voice was somewhat gruff but also not as deep as Anthony had expected. He had a mild Brooklyn accent and Anthony detected in the cadence of the voice and grammar a bit of a "simple" element; of someone who either was a little bit "slow" or had not completed much education, either of which could explain the shyness.

Anthony decided to push forward a bit. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you will return to worship with us again." He said. "If you do, I want you to know that you shouldn't feel hesitant to join the other parishioners in the pews. Ours is a very open and accepting congregation, we want all who come here to feel loved and welcomed. There is no need to stand apart back here".

The man shuffled his feet nervously and remained in the darkness. "I don't know about dat." He said reluctantly. "I'm…kinda different den most people. A lot different actually. I don't want to cause no trouble or nuttin'. I was fine back here."

Anthony nodded and smiled kindly. "I understand the reluctance that can come with being somewhere you feel you might not belong, but I assure you that no one would reject you here. Everyone is welcome, no matter who they are."

The man in the shadows crossed his arms in an obvious posture of incredulity. "You probably wouldn't say dat if you could see me." he responded.

Anthony frowned slightly. "Let me be the judge of that." he said, and then held up his hand to beckon the stranger out of the shadows. "Please come out into the light. No matter how you might look or what your social standing might be, it does not matter in this place. Man looks at outward appearances but God looks at the heart, and that is what matters."

The man uncrossed his arms and let them drop to his side in a sign of resignation. "Alright. But I did warn ya." And he took three large steps forward, entering into full illuminating range of the lights.

To his credit, Father Anthony did a very good job of keeping his composure. The only things that betrayed the surprise he felt were a slight widening of his eyes behind the lenses of his glasses, and a single small step back he took, neither of which the large stranger appeared to notice, which was probably a good thing. Anthony had given similar inviting speeches to other reluctant visitors to St. John's over the years, but never before had he found himself in such an immediate need to live up to the words he'd expressed as this particular moment. " _Well_ , _he certainly did warn me"_ Anthony couldn't help but think, as he took in the visitor standing before him.

The man was dressed in large black jean pants, and a camouflage patterned short sleeved t-shirt, with a brown bomber jacket on top, and he had two metal studded leather bands around his wrists. His feet were clad in two large brown work boots. In general, the man had the expected two arms, two legs, feet, hands, and head, but this fact and the clothes were where all of the expected details ran out. Every inch of the man's exposed skin was dark gray in color, and appeared to be much thicker and tougher than the skin of a regular person. Anthony noticed that the man's hands only had four digits each, a thumb and three fingers, instead of the expected five. But of course it was the final detail that drew the most attention. A long pronounced snout, with large open nostrils and a prominent curved horn growing from the end, with another smaller horn set back behind it. A mouth full of curved pointed teeth, some of which were visible even when his mouth was closed. Large pointed ears set back on the top of head. A set of expressive yellow eyes, now filled with weariness and apprehension as their owner waited for the reaction of the stunned human standing in front of him. In short, the man standing in front of Anthony looked to be a bipedal humanoid rhinoceros.

One word flashed immediately through Anthony's mind as he looked at his visitor. "Mutant". Like any good well informed citizen of New York City, Father Anthony was familiar with the latest news of the local famed super heroes of the city, the Ninja Turtles. They were mentioned on the Channel 6 news almost every other day, and their many battles with the notorious Shredder and other strange and exotic threats to the city were the stuff of water cooler conversations everywhere, and St. John the Baptist's was no exception. So Anthony, like many New Yorkers, was familiar with the idea of mutants, those strange beings with mixed up DNA from a variety of sources. But also like many New Yorkers, Anthony never really expected that he would ever encounter a real mutant, even the famous Turtles, in his day to day life. And yet here one stood, larger than life, only a foot in front of him. A spark of recognition sprang to life in Anthony's head. For some reason, this mutant seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place just why.

Additionally, Anthony noted that this particular mutant looked as if he had just been through a nasty street brawl, and come out the loser. There was a large white bandage wrapped around the mutant's right bicep, just above the elbow, and a variety of smaller cuts and scrapes up and down both arms. The knuckles on both his hands were bruised and scraped, and his right hand in particular was badly swollen. His face was in a similar state, a mean looking purplish-red bruise surrounded his left eye, and another painful looking bruise showed on the top of the mutant's snout, in between the first and second horn.

The Rhinoceros man shifted his feet nervously, and fiddled with what looked like a bracelet that was wrapped around his right wrist, on top of the wrist band. Anthony quickly realized that it was an old wooden rosary chain, as he could see the small crucifix dangling down from the middle. "Well, now you see me." the mutant said, stealing himself for the inevitable request for him to leave.

Anthony cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up on his nose again, gathering his composure. "Yes, now I see." He replied diplomatically. "I can certainly understand why you would be reluctant to step out in the open in a place with many strangers. But I assure you that even a mutant like you is perfectly welcome here if he desires to come before God."

The mutant looked surprised. "Really? You mean you aint scared of me or nuttin?"

"Should I be scared?" Anthony asked. "You haven't done anything that looks threatening to me."

The mutant shrugged and looked a little sad. "A lot of people seem scared of me just cause of da way I look."

"Well as I said, Man tends to look at the outside, but God is concerned more about the inside." Anthony replied.

The mutant shrugged again. "That aint really any betta news for me. I aint much on the inside neither."

Anthony's face became serious and he nodded solemnly. "All of us have our own inner struggles and failures to deal with. And that is why God's love and grace is so wonderful." He nodded in the direction of the rosary the mutant was wearing on his wrist. "I take it that you are a Catholic?"

The mutant glanced down at his rosary, looking a little bit unsure. "Sorta...kinda, I guess." he replied, touching the crucifix on the rosary with his left hand. "My ma was. This used to be hers. She taught me a few prayers and stuff, when I was little. Tried to get me to come wit her. To church and stuff." His eyes looked pained at the memory. "But...Dad didn't really approve."

Anthony could tell that this recollection was a painful direction for the mutant, and picked up on a different thread. "Based on how you describe relating to your parents, I would guess that you were human, originally?"

The mutant nodded. "Yup, me and Bebop were both just regular guys before. We didn't become mutants until later."

Anthony frowned slightly at hearing another name in the conversation and then realized his own mistake. He blushed slightly and smiled, a bit annoyed with himself. "I just suddenly realized how terribly rude I've been." He began. "I introduced myself when we started talking, but I have yet to ask for your name in return."

The mutant rubbed the back of his head, looking a bit nervous. "Um, Rocksteady." he replied hesitantly. After a moment, the mutant stuck his left hand out, though he didn't look entirely comfortable.

Anthony cracked a small smile. "Is that like the music genre, or the song by The Whispers?" He asked, as he reached out and shook Rocksteady's hand. The skin felt thick and dry, like a rough piece of leather, and his grip was strong.

Rocksteady's eyes widened and he broke out into a large jovial grin. "Kinda both actually." he replied. "Not many people pick up on dat. I used to listen to dat song all da time."

Anthony nodded as he took back his hand. "Your parents must have been fans."

Rocksteady's smile dropped off and his eyes fell. "Nah. Wasn't dem dat gave me dat name. Bebop and me, we kinda named ourselves, after we came back to New York. Like a way of starting over."

Anthony smiled again. "Bebop and Rocksteady. I get it."

Rocksteady smiled back. "Yeah. Plus, all dose kids in the gang movies always had cool nicknames and we thought we should have em too, since we was looking to join up"

"And Bebop is the person you mentioned before, who mutated as well?" asked Anthony.

"Yeah, he's a mutant too. Part warthog." Rocksteady replied, nodding. "My best friend in the whole world."

"So what was your name as a human?" Anthony asked. "If you don't mind me asking?'

Rocksteady suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, and for a moment Anthony worried that he'd inadvertently crossed the wrong line without realizing it. "Uh...I really do, actually." he said, twisting his hands together, taking a step back and looking like he was ready to bolt.

Anthony held his hands up in a reassuring gesture. "I'm sorry. It's ok. You don't have to tell me any details you don't want to." He said, trying to cool his guest down. "I was only trying to get to know you a little, as I seek to learn about all the guests who come here. But I want you to feel comfortable and safe here. If I offended you, I apologize."

Rocksteady still looked a bit uncertain, but was definitely becoming less jumpy. "It's ok." he said "Just...really don't want no one to know who I was back den. Bebop's the only one now who knows dat stuff."

Anthony nodded. "I think I understand" he replied, and then looked over Rocksteady critically, and decided to risk asking a more serious question. "Forgive me in advance if this is another too private issue, but I don't think anyone could help but notice the state of your body at the moment." He looked Rocksteady in the eye. "If you are in any physical danger outside of this place, then the church can extend its help to you if you desire." he stated, pointedly. "Though it would be hard to imagine someone of your size really being threatened by anyone." he added, smiling a little. "Or if the situation is of a more personally inflicted nature, we are ready to offer a listening ear and spiritual guidance if you feel you need to give confession. You..mentioned gangs earlier, did you not?"

Rocksteady kind of glanced over himself as he was becoming aware of his own injuries for the first time, then his gaze fell and he fidgeted nervously with the waist band of his pants. Anthony saw a combination of embarrassment and shame play over his facial expression. "Nah. We aint doing that kind of stuff no more dese days. At least we're tryin. Dis...dis was all my fault." He sighed and looked down at his feet. "I was bein a blockhead, and Bebop and my friends just hadta knock some sense into me."

Anthony frowned, suddenly looking very stern. "Friends who stick by you and hold you accountable are very valuable. But violence is rarely the proper answer to anything" he stated, looking Rocksteady straight in the eye again. "Whatever you did, it wouldn't justify mistreatment on their part."

Rocksteady's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently, holding a hand up in a "stop right there" kind of motion. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that!" he said emphatically. "It really was all my fault." he raised his left hand and rubbed the back of his head again, looking supremely embarrassed. "I..wasn't in my right mind. Bebop was just defendin himself, I was da one who tried to fight." He hung his head and smiled sadly. "Mostly I just ended up hurtin myself." He pointed to the nasty bruise on his snout. "Dis is the only hit he actually gave me. The rest was all me." He laughed a little and pointed at his left eye. "Got dis just from fallin down afterwards. Pathetic huh?"

Anthony did not really feel convinced. Rocksteady's story did not sound all that different from the excuses he'd heard from many a damaged individual, unwilling to speak out against their abuser. But it often did no good to directly accuse them of fudging the truth or covering up their loved ones actions, so Anthony pushed his skepticism down and tried to dig a little deeper from another angle. "You said that you "were not in your right mind"? What do you mean by that?" Anthony asked.

Rocksteady rubbed his head again nervously and looked away, like a kid caught being bad by his stern teacher. "Well..." he began, stumbling a little with his words. "Basically...I was smashed out of my skull."

Anthony hadn't really expected that admission. "Really?" he asked. "You mean you were drunk?"

"Yup" Rocksteady replied, nodding solemnly.

Anthony felt a brief twinge of shame for having jumped to the wrong conclusion, and then an out flowing of compassion for the mutant. "Is this something that you struggle with often?" asked Anthony. After a brief internal moment of hesitation, he stepped closer the mutant and reached up and put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder. The mutant looked surprised at the priest's gesture, but did not pull away. "We have resources that could help. You don't have to live with such a destructive addiction." Anthony said.

Rocksteady shook his head. "Nah, dat's not really da problem. I'm not an alchyholic or anyting like you're tinkin". He sighed and for a moment he looked almost heart-breakingly sad. "I just been dealin wit some tough stuff lately. In my head mostly. Dat rat guy says I need to be more..." He struggled a moment to find the word. "forgivin-like to myself."

Anthony nodded. He thought maybe he was finally starting to see the tip of the true picture here. "Yes. It can often be hard not to beat ourselves up when we know we've done something wrong. But if we've been forgiven then it is like a clean beginning".

"Yeah I guess." Rocksteady said, but by his face he didn't look like he quite believed it. "I'm not sure if dey really will forgive me dough."

Anthony squeezed Rocksteady's shoulder gently and then took his hand back. "It sounds to me, Rocksteady, as if you have some things weighing heavily on your soul."

Rocksteady just shrugged as if that was obvious. "Yeah no kiddin. I was a pretty bad guy for a long time. Me and Bebop both, we was always fightin with dem turtles and causin all sorts of trouble." Anthony's eyes grew wide as the recognition he'd thought he felt before suddenly clarified. Rocksteady's caught his change in expression. "What?" he asked nervously.

"It just clicked for me. When we first started talking I thought you seemed familiar, but I couldn't place why. But that's it." Anthony said, snapping his fingers. "I've seen you on the news. Along with your friend. That lady from channel 6 news...what's her name?"

"April O'Neil" Rocksteady supplied

"Yes her." continued Anthony. "She was always covering stories about the Turtles and that mad man Shredder who was always fighting them. And you and the other mutant were there too." He looked at Rocksteady with a great amount of surprise. "You work for the Shredder."

"Used to." Rocksteady replied, "We gave up workin for him a while back. Just...couldn't do it no more." Suddenly he gave Anthony another nervous look. "What!?" he asked again. Anthony was smiling at him.

The priest couldn't believe what he'd just figured out, though he chastised himself internally for not catching on sooner, the evidence was all there. He couldn't help but smile at the situation. "I just think it is an amazing and wonderful thing that you would be here at all." he began. "You worked for one of the most heinous madmen of the 20th century, and now you are here." he gestured to the sanctuary around him. "It just goes to show how far God's power can bring a person."

Rocksteady didn't look convinced at all. "I don't know how much he really had to do wit it." he said, scratching one of his ears, looking unsure.

Anthony smiled wider. "God is always at work around us even when we are not aware of him, even for those who do not yet acknowledge him." Rocksteady still looked skeptical, but Anthony caught him steal a glance at the rosary on his wrist, giving it a brief considering look. There was something there. Anthony reached out again and put a hand on Rocksteady's arm. "My son, I believe God has brought you here for a reason. You obviously have things weighing on your mind, issues and doubts you are struggling with." He nodded towards the row of wooden booths on the far wall of the sanctuary. "This is not the normal scheduled time for confessions, but I wonder if you might want to share with me the things that have been troubling you and the guilt you are carrying. It can be most therapeutic and freeing."

Rocksteady looked a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable at being called "my son" by the priest, but did not immediately reject the suggestion. "I..don't know. I've never done a confession before, in a church." He glanced at the confession booths with a bit of apprehension. "Don't tink I'd fit in one of dose anyway."

Anthony laughed. "Yes, that is probably true. But this does not have to be a formal "by the book" confession. For one thing you know the priest you are talking to already." He turned around and gestured to the nearest row of pews. "We can just sit here. I will listen to whatever you feel comfortable sharing."

This was the moment of truth, so to speak. Would this man decide to stay, or walk away possibly never to return? Rocksteady considered for a long moment. Anthony realized that he was half-way holding his breath and let it out in a quit woosh. Rocksteady dropped his arms to his side and silently walked forward and sat down on one of the pews. Anthony smiled to himself and sat down next to him. The mutant stared forward for a few moments, seeming lost in thought, and then let his head droop, his eyes falling to his hands in his lap. "I don't even know where to start." he said.

"Take your time. Don't rush." Anthony said kindly. "I am in no hurry. We can talk for as long as you like." He put his left hand on Rocksteady's shoulder. "Tell me your story."

And so Rocksteady did. He told him about being homeless on the streets, about gangs and fighting for survival, about the Shredder and Krang. And about when everything started to change.


	2. Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter

\- 1 -

A Chance Encounter:

 _-"Oh. this memory again."_

 _The rain poured down from the darkened sky like a raging waterfall, cascading down the nearby fire escape, pounding on the lids of the dumpsters like the roar of drums, running down the alley like a river. The two young men huddled together in the corner where the trash dumpster met the alleyway wall, miserable and soaked to the bone, waiting for the storm to pass. The skinny black boy shivered and rubbed his arms, pulling back farther against the wall, and closer to his companion. The larger boy, short cropped blonde hair sticking to his skull, pulled his green army jacket off and tried to spread it over both their heads with his left arm, like an umbrella. It didn't do much good, the jacket was already soaked through. He put his right arm around his companion, pulling him closer, trying to make the most of their body heat to stay warm in the torrent of rain. "If dad could see me now, he'd prolly blow a gasket" the bigger boy thought, glancing at his companion, smiling inwardly to himself. But little things like race and what not didn't mean anything anymore, when you didn't have a family or home to ever go back to, when the guy next to you was the only person you could rely on, no matter what you both looked like or where you came from. Homelessness and starvation didn't know race or creed._

 _In the distance a sound like a siren began, barely audible over the roar of the storm. The bigger boy's stomach rumbled audibly. It had been a few days since they'd eaten much except some leftover junk they'd found thrown away. His companion stirred. "You think da next gang we join will let us stay, Rock?" he asked._

 _"I hope so." he replied, trying to stay positive. "We gots to get some food and money soon."_

 _His companion nodded his head, and bumped his fists together, like he was psyching himself up. "Yeah. We won't screw up no more. We'll do better dis time."_

 _"Yeah. No more messin up." the bigger boy replied, squeezing his friend's shoulder with his right hand._

 _Behind the sound of the falling rain, the siren seemed to grow louder. The bigger boy shifted uncomfortably. Outside on the street, he thought he saw the reflected red light of a cop car. He watched the end of the alley intently, waiting for anything to change. So it took him completely by surprise when the squeal of tires issued from the opposite end of the alley. Red flashing lights began cycling across the dark brick walls, the sound of slamming doors and splashing feet approaching. The boy leapt to his feet, panic stricken, and the shrill sound of the sirens filled the alley, blocking everything, filling his head, drowning out his thoughts with the overwhelming noise and something else behind it. a loud far away...voice?...-_

* * *

"...u lazy incompetent chowder heads get your carcasses out of bed and up here to the portal room NOW!"

Rocksteady startled violently awake, sitting up so quickly that he bonked his horn hard against the metal roof above his bed. Stars flashed in his vision and he reflexively grabbed his face, groaning in pain. The remnants of the dream still clinging to his mind, he momentarily forgot where he was or the orientation of his body, and lost his balance, tumbling out of the top bunk and landing hard on top of Bebop, who was lying on the floor next to his bottom bunk.

"Get off me dipstick, you're heavy." Bebop groused, rolling Rocksteady to the side and climbing to his feet. The mutant warthog quickly stomped across the clutter strewn room, dodging video game cartridges and half eaten bags of snack food, and slammed his finger down on the red button under the wall intercom. "Yeah boss? We're awake." he said.

The voice of Oroku Saki, the notorious Shredder, rumbled back through the intercom with furious intensity. "Do you two blockheads know what time it is!? Were you planning to sleep all day!? Get up here now, I've got an assignment for you!"

"Sure ting boss." Bebop replied contritely, before taking his finger off the speaker button and turning to his friend, who was still lying on his back on the floor near the beds. "Hey, yous gonna lie dere all day? We's got woik to do. Get up or da boss is gonna be even madder." Rocksteady didn't move, just kept starring up at the ceiling, and Bebop felt a twinge of worry. He walked back across the room and crouched down next to the other mutant. "Hey, you ok pal? Didn't hit your head too hard did ya?"

Rocksteady turned his head slightly and met Bebop's eyes. "Nah..." he finally replied "Just...bad dreams." " _memories, more like it"_ the mutant rhino thought to himself. He glanced around the room, taking everything in, letting the last dregs of the dream fade away. They were in their apartment on the Technodrome, miles beneath the earth's crust. Living on the streets, scrounging through dumpsters, joining any gang that would give them a chance just to get some food and money, all that was just a distant existence, nearly a decade in the past. They had jobs now, a home, food to eat every day, even some meager possessions of their own and a dependable (if rather small) allowance. They were Bebop and Rocksteady, mutant muscle for Shredder and Krang. Life was descent overall, even if their base never worked and was always getting stuck somewhere inconvenient, and even if they still could never beat those darn turtles. Rocksteady rubbed his eyes and tried to clear his head of past thoughts. Bebop was right. They had work to do. Stuff to break, people to pound. A world to help Shredder conquer. They were getting back at life for every bum rap they'd ever been handed.

Bebop grabbed Rocksteady's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Well, whatever your dream was, it's over now. Shake it off buddy, we got to get going. Da Boss is really steamed." He turned and grabbed his signature purple shades hanging from the edge of his bunk, putting them on as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "You can tell me what it was later ok?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. Don't even need to bother. It was just a stupid dream." Rocksteady said, smiling the best he could. "Let's go see what da Boss wants, before he ends up making us mop the entire Technodrome again."

"Yeah, my back is still killin me from last night." Bebop replied, as the two headed for the door.

The evil ninja super-villain Shredder paced back and forth across the portal room, growing even more and more impatient by the second. When he saw his two mutant henchmen –finally- enter through the opposite door, he spun towards them, fists clenched in seething anger. "Nice of you two porridge brains to finally join us. Do you think you're on vacation!? You know what time I expect you to be up!" He screamed at them, waving his gauntlets in the air as they approached.

"But boss…" whined Rocksteady "We was tired, you had us up almost the whole night cleanin."

"Yeah, we din'nt even get back to our room till afta midnight" Bebop added.

"SILENCE!" Shredder yelled, causing his minions to jump back. "I don't want to hear your excuses. And if you mess up again today, I'll have you buried in so much work you'll never sleep!"

"Calm down Shredder, you're not as young as you used to be you know." Burbled the androgynous voice of Krang, exiled alien warlord of Dimension X. His new and improved giant robot body turned from the viewing portal and stomped over to where the others were standing, the sticky pink blob inside the chest cavity staring out at Shredder with amusement in his eyes. "Don't want you giving yourself a heart attack when I still need your help to conquer Earth and Dimension X".

Shredder glared at the alien brain. "Like you're one to talk, you ancient wrinkled prune" he shot back. "I'm still in top form."

"Then why do you keep losing to the rat and those insufferable turtles lately?" Krang asked and laughed again. "You used to be able to hold your own. You're slipping in your ninja training, Saki."

Shredder glared again and crossed his arms in a pout. "Who's the one who's had us all running around with more harebrained schemes to fix the Technodrome since we got back to earth? Like anyone would have time to practice martial arts" Rocksteady and Bebop sniggered to themselves, until Shredder shot them a death glare. "What are you two laughing at?!"

"Speaking of which." Krang began, turning to face the two mutants. "We've got a new target for you to go after today." He walked back to the console next to the viewing screen and punched a few buttons. The large wall sized screen lit up, showing the picture of a nerdy Asian man in a lab coat, and the picture of a regular New York City apartment building. The address flashed next to the picture. "This is Dr. Morikawa, and he's just announced the development of a new super fuel compound that would be just the thing to get the Technodrome's engines firing again." He turned back to the mutants, a serious look on his face. "You think you two idiots can manage breaking into his apartment and stealing the research notes?"

"Yeah no problemo Krang, dose notes are as good as yoirs" Bebop replied, snapping an exaggerated salute.

"Yeah, leave it to us." Rocksteady replied, grinning. This should be an easy job.

Krang glared and crossed his tentacles. "Yeah, yeah, don't get my hopes up." He said before turning back to the computer consoles to begin some new calculations.

Shredder glared at the two mutants. "You two better not fail this time, or you know what will happen." He growled angrily.

"Sure ting, Boss" Bebop and Rocksteady replied together.

"Oh and one more detail before you go, mush for brains." Shredder replied, looking at them with disgust.

"What" they both asked.

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, YOU IDIOTS!" Shredder shrieked, his face turning red.

Bebop and Rocksteady turned their heads to look at each other, really paying attention for the first time. They were both still wearing nothing but the undershirts and boxers they'd slept in the night before.

"Oh yeah. Guess we prolly should do dat." Rocksteady said, blushing and looking embarrassed.

"Sorry boss" Bebop replied, rubbing the back of his head and smiling like an idiot. "We was kinda in a hoiry to get here."

Shredder let out a loud sigh and put his hand to his head. "Why am I cursed so?" he grumbled to himself, walking away.

* * *

Tyler stepped off the elevator onto the third floor apartment landing and headed for his door, completely unaware of the meeting he was moving towards that would soon change the course of several lives. As he stuck his key into the lock, the only thing on Tyler's mind was the awful school day he'd just endured and the terrible oral presentation he had to give next Monday in Math. What kind of math class had oral presentations anyway!? Kenny Noland and his goon patrol were still making Tyler's life miserable every lunch period and he was getting sick of it. He pulled his door open and tossed his coat lazily into the hall closet, still lost in thought as he trudged to the kitchen to grab a can of soda from the fridge. He sipped from the can as he walked towards his room, feeling the tension of the day start to finally wash away. Another day down until summer vacation, and it was the weekend. Angie wouldn't be home from work for a few more hours, which gave him a nice window of free time to do whatever he wanted before she started nagging him about homework or whatever. He grasped the doorknob to his bedroom, looking forward to vegging out on some video games and comics, maybe catching the new horror movie at the nearest cinema if there was time. It was going to be another nice Kenny free weekend, and Tyler was determined to make the most of it. Then he opened his bedroom door.

Tyler blinked twice and stared. There were two mutants in his room. Reading his comic books. Tyler was distinctly sure that he hadn't invited them. The window on the far wall was smashed open, and glass littered the carpet underneath. They had obviously climbed up the fire escape and come in there. Tyler blinked again. They weren't just any random mutants either, Tyler realized. The one sitting on the right, leaned up against Tyler's bed reading the newest issue of Captain Cow, was a half Rhino, and the one stretched out on his stomach to the left, head propped up on his hands, with another comic open in front of him, was part Pig…or maybe warthog, Tyler wasn't sure. Either way, he recognized them almost instantly. They were Bebop and Rocksteady. Tyler had seen them on the channel 6 news plenty of times, but even if he hadn't, he would have known them on sight anyway. Tyler's school acquaintance Zack was always ready to talk about anything related to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In fact, Zack had a tendency to - **never shut up-** about the Turtles whenever the subject was broached; he claimed to have actually met them and been inducted into their group as the "Honorary 5th Turtle", and insisted he had helped them in many adventures over the past few years. The kid even dressed like the Turtles most of the time and carried around a neat looking turtle shell shaped walkie-talkie toy; claimed it was his own Turtle Com. No one at school really believed Zack, even when his usually bratty older brother backed up his claims, but his turtle tales were usually entertaining enough that Tyler and the other kids gave him a pass. Tyler had heard many MANY recitations of Zack's alleged adventures with the turtles, which often included encounters with the Shredder and his infamously "dumb-as-a-sack-of-hammers" mutant minions Rocksteady and Bebop. And now they were in his room. Reading his comics, and also apparently playing his games; Tyler saw his Game Guy hand held lying next to Rocksteady's leg, paused in the middle of the first level of Speedy the Hamster. This did not compute!

The two mutants didn't look up when he opened the door; they were so absorbed in the comics that they hadn't heard any of his arrival in the apartment. Tyler didn't really know how to proceed. Part of him was a little excited, he never thought he'd ever encounter any mutants or other "celebrities" he saw on TV in real life, and yet here were two of them. He wasn't really scared, he knew the two's reputation for being morons and could probably get away from them if he had to. And if they were here then maybe the Turtles would be around somewhere too! That would be cool. But the rest of him was just puzzled. Why would they have broken into his room? And were they planning to leave anytime soon? He had his own vegging to do. Tyler finally decided to make his presence known and loudly cleared his throat. The two mutant jerked in surprise and then looked up with startled expressions on their faces. Tyler fixed the most stern expression he could muster on his face and asked "Just what exactly is going on here?"

The two mutants looked at each other with puzzled expressions, like they couldn't believe some kid was talking to them like this, and both began to look a little embarrassed. "Um...we was just readin" Rocksteady replied, looking like he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I guess you must be the kid dat lives here?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's me" Tyler replied, crossing his arms.

"Don't be scared kid, we won't hurt ya" Bebop said, sitting up. "You gots a great comic collection, ya know?" He continued, holding up the comic he'd been reading. "I've been looking for dis issue forever."

Tyler took a closer look at the comic Bebop was holding up, and felt his blood freeze a little. It was his limited edition issue #1 of Atom Man. He'd spent months looking through every comic book store in the area to get his hands on that! He kept it with his other rare comics on a special shelf, all of them stored in protective plastic slip covers. Tyler saw the slip cover for Atom Man lying discarded on the floor next to the mutant. Suddenly Tyler wasn't feeling so ok with these two after all. He narrowed his eyes angrily. "That's my limited edition Atom Man comic." he said. "It was in mint condition and now you took it out of the protective cover and got your fingerprints all over it. Now it won't be as valuable."

Bebop looked at the comic with confusion, and then picked up the discarded protective cover. "Yeah, I was wonderin bout that." he dropped the cover and shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like a waste to me to just stick it on a shelf instead of readin it."

"Yeah!" Rocksteady chimed in. "Dat's what comics are for. For readin."

Tyler scowled at them. "I guess you two don't know much about the nuances of comic book collecting" he stated.

The two mutants looked at each other in puzzlement. Neither one knew what the word "nuance" meant. Rocksteady shrugged his shoulders. "Whateva kid. We just like readin em, we don't care about dat other dweeby stuff." he said. Bebop nodded in agreement and smiled.

Tyler felt himself becoming more and more irritated. Now they were insulting him. They broke into his room and read his comics and now they were insulting him? The boy glared harder. "What are you even doing here in the first place? Don't you two have, I don't know, minion things to be doing?" he asked. "Or do you often break into people's bedrooms to mess with their stuff?"

Rocksteady's eyes widened and he glanced at Bebop. "Dat's right! We totally forgot! We havta get back to work!"

Bebop scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly. "Yeah, guess we was gettin distracted."

Rocksteady turned back to Tyler with a more serious look on his face. "Hey kid, does a scientist named Dr. Mori-something-er-other live here by any chance?"

Tyler looked puzzled. "Dr. Morikawa lives two floors up from here." he replied.

Bebop turned and smacked Rocksteady lightly on the side of the head. "I told ya we was on da wrong floor!"

"Well how was I supposed to know?" whined Rocksteady. "Everyting looks da same from da outside."

Tyler couldn't help but crack a small smile. These two really did seem to be as dim as he'd heard. "So let me get this straight" he began. "You guys broke into this apartment thinking it was Dr. Morikawa's? And then you decide to read my comics instead of looking around and doing whatever it is you came for?" Tyler let out a small chuckle.

The two mutants looked embarrassed and annoyed. "Hey, don't laugh at us." Rocksteady replied, with a little bit of hurt in his voice. "We was gonna get back to work eventually. We just got a little...sidetracked"

Bebop nodded "Yeah, we was just takin a little break. Woikin for the Shredda is tough, ya know?"

"I bet." Tyler said sarcastically. "Wonder what he would think if he could see you goofing off like this?"

Rocksteady frowned. "Hey you betta watch it kid. Don't make us mad." He dropped the Captain Cow comic on the floor and got to his feet. "Why are we even sitting here talkin to you anyways? Let's go Bebop, we need to hurry up and find dose fuel plans and get dem back to da boss on time."

"Ok, pal. Let's get goin" Bebop replied, as he took Rocksteady's offered hand and climbed to his feet.

Tyler crossed his arms again and nodded. It was about time. Of course now he'd have to spend his evening cleaning up the glass and covering the window they broke instead of playing games like he planned. Tyler sighed. But his relief to see them leaving quickly melted into anger when he saw Bebop fold up the Atom Man comic he'd been reading and stuff it in the back pocket of his jeans. "Hey!" Tyler cried indignantly. "What do you think you're doing? That's my comic!"

Bebop turned back and gave the kid a mean smile. "Finders, keepers, kid." he said and laughed.

Tyler shook his head in annoyance. "That doesn't even make sense!" he replied in exasperation. "You didn't "find" that, it was on my shelf, in my room! That you broke into!"

Bebop shrugged. "Same ting." he replied.

"No it's not!" Tyler replied. He was almost as annoyed with the mutant's lack of logic as with the fact that he was stealing from him.

"Hey, we're da bad guys kid." Rocksteady replied. "Stealin's what we do. Deal wit it".

"Yeah. Deal wit it!" Bebop echoed and laughed as he turned and stepped out the window onto the fire escape outside.

"See ya around kid" Rocksteady replied as he followed his friend.

Tyler clinched his fists in anger and forgot for the moment that the two mutants were almost 3 times as big as him, and armed. He followed them out the window and made to grab the comic out of Bebop's pocket. Rocksteady saw him coming and pushed him back against the brick wall next to the window. "Don't be dumb kid. We don't wanna hurt ya, but you're startin to push it" he stated in annoyance.

"Yeah." said Bebop, turning so his back, and the comic, were away from Tyler. "Just go back in yer room and forget we was ever here."

"Not likely!" Tyler said, trying to push against Rocksteady's hand.

"Give it up kid, you aint gonna win dis" Rocksteady said sternly, picking Tyler up by the collar of his t-shirt.

Tyler didn't take well to being told what to do like that. He kicked his legs out at Rocksteady's chest. "Get your hands off me you big mook" he yelled. And then instantly regretted it

Rocksteady flinched as if someone had just stuck him in the ribs with a hot poker. The look of surprise in his eyes almost instantly changed to one of furious anger. The first pang of real fear swept through Tyler. He'd definitely said the wrong thing. Rocksteady barred his teeth like an angry dog and pulled his hand blaster from its holster in one swift motion. He didn't point the gun at the boy, but he definitely looked like he wanted to. "What did you just call me!?" he growled.

Bebop moved fast, grabbing his friend's arm and pulling the gun down towards the floor. "Easy pal. Think for a minute." he said as soothingly as possible. "He's just a kid, he don't know nuttin'. He didn't mean anyting by it." He looked Tyler in the eye. "Did ya, kid?"

"No, nothing at all. Sorry" Tyler said quickly.

"Just toss him back in his room and let's get going." Bebop said, his hand still on Rocksteady's arm. "It's not woith it."

To Tyler's relief, he could see Rocksteady begin to visibly calm down. He unclenched his jaw and the color in his face began to settle back to normal. "Yeah, your right pal." He said. He started to move towards the window, to throw the boy back into his room, when suddenly a projectile flew past the top of his head and embedded in the bricks above. Three pairs of eyes rose to look. It was a three pronged Sai.

An authoritative voice rang out through the alleyway. "Put the kid down, you fiends, and come quietly!" Tyler and the two mutants turned and looked down at the mouth of the alley. The Ninja Turtles were standing at the opening, glaring up at them.

"It's dem toitles!" Bebop exclaimed, pulling his hand blaster from the holster on his side and aiming it down at them.

"You have such a strong grasp of the obvious, don't you?" snarked the one with the red mask _"Raphael",_ Tyler noted to himself.

"How did you find us?" Rocksteady shot back with annoyance, pointing his own drawn blaster towards the enemy as well.

The purple masked one, Donatello, looked up at them with incredulity. "You guys do know that April's apartment is like a block over don't you?" He asked. "You had to realize that you might run into us in this neighborhood."

"You're giving those knuckleheads way too much credit Donatello." Raphael replied.

Rocksteady smiled and tried to look puffed up. "Of course we knew dat. We've been waiting for you shell backs all along." Tyler rolled his eyes. They'd forgotten. Of course.

"Plus, dudes" the orange masked turtle, Michaelangelo, added. "You left your drill module double parked around the corner. Anyone with half a brain would know you were around."

"Enough pointless banter" shouted the blue masked turtle, Leonardo, drawing his katana and pointing it up at the fire escape. "We're here to stop whatever scheme Shredder has sent you on this time. Release the boy!"

"There goes our fearless leader, acting all tough and serious" Michelangelo stated, smiling to himself.

"He's just annoyed that he never gets any of the good lines." Raphael whispered in Michelangelo's ear.

"Cut it out guys!" Leonardo whined, looking back at them with annoyance. "You're ruining my cool heroic declaration."

"Why don't we just worry about beating them?" Donatello asked diplomatically. The other three sighed and nodded, and all 4 turtles pulled their weapons and began to advance on the fire escape.

Rocksteady growled in anger and dropped Tyler. The boy forgotten, he grasped his laser pistol with both hands and began firing down on the alley. "Eat blazing photons, shell-brains!" he shouted with enthusiasm. He loved getting to say stuff like that! Tyler meanwhile, quickly slipped back through the window into his room, very grateful that the two mutants hadn't been smart enough to think to just point their guns at him and use him as their hostage.

"Do you even know what a photon is?" called back Donatello with annoyance as the four turtles dove for cover behind the nearby dumpsters and trash bags.

Bebop began firing too, keeping the pressure on the turtles, and backed up so he was next to Rocksteady. "Come on, we betta get out of here." he said over his shoulder to his friend.

"But what about dose fuel plans?" Rocksteady asked.

"We can't do no searchin for no plans if dose Toitles are here. We'll have to come back later"

"Da boss aint gonna be happy about dis" Rocksteady replied, a little bit of fear creeping into his voice.

"I know" Bebop replied, resigned. "But it can't be helped."

The two of them began slowly backing down the fire escape stairs, all the while keeping the turtles pinned down with their laser fire. As soon as the two reached solid ground, they holstered their pistols and booked it down the opposite end of the alley. The turtles leapt out of cover and followed. When they reached the bottom of the fire escape, Leonardo issued some orders. "Michaelangelo, you and Donatello follow those two and try to stop them from escaping. Raphael and I will check on the kid and find out what they were doing here."

"No problemo" Michelangelo replied, as he and Donatello took off after the mutants.

Leonardo and Raphael quickly climbed the fire escape up to the broken window, arriving just as Tyler climbed back out. Leonardo smiled somewhat condescendingly and spoke first. "Are you alright little boy?" he asked in a higher "talking-to-children" type voice.

Tyler scowled back at him. He hated it when people assumed he was young. Just because he was kind of short for his age. "I'm not a little boy" he responded huffily. "I'm 12 and a half. And my name is Tyler."

Raphael smiled. "Got a feisty one here don't we?" he asked jokingly.

Leonardo smiled sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend." He stated. "I'm.." he began to say, but Tyler cut him off.

"You're Leonardo" Tyler stated, and then turned to the other Turtle. "And you're Raphael. And the other two are Michelangelo and Donatello, I know. I've seen you on the news plenty of times." He smiled and waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "And to answer your question, I'm fine. They didn't hurt me."

"What were those two goons doing here anyway?" asked Raphael, peaking through Tyler's broken window.

"I think they were supposed to break into Dr. Morikawa's apartment. He's a famous scientist" Tyler began. "But he lives two more floors up from here" he continued, glancing up the fire escape stairs. He then shrugged his shoulders. "They broke into my room by mistake." He rolled his eyes. "And then they started reading my comics."

Raphael face-palmed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I bet that doctor probably has something that Shredder needs to get the Technodrome working again." Leonardo added, looking grave.

"Yeah, I think they said something about fuel" Tyler added.

Leonardo smiled. "I guess it's a good thing then they got distracted by your comic collection Tyler. Or else they might have gotten what they came for."

"Yeah I guess." Tyler said, but he didn't really feel happy. They still had his comic.

Just then Michelangelo and Donatello came walking back into the alley from the direction they'd run earlier. Leonardo and Raphael descended the fire escape and met them at the bottom, with Tyler following close behind. "How'd it go?" Leonardo asked as they reached the ground.

"Sorry guys, they got away" Donatello reported glumly.

Tyler suddenly looked worried. "What!?" he asked in annoyance. "But you've got to catch them for me! They stole something really important from my room!" he exclaimed.

"Who's this little dude?" Michelangelo asked, prompting a scowl from Tyler.

"This is Tyler." Leonardo began to explain. "Bebop and Rocksteady broke into his apartment."

"Yeah, and get this!" Raphael added, smiling. "It wasn't even the right apartment, and those two got so distracted reading his comics that they never even got around to looking for what they came for."

Donatello shook his head. "So what else is new?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well they certainly had enough time to steal from me" Tyler added, feeling annoyed. "Let's stop talking and go after them."

"I don't think that's possible micro-dude" Michelangelo stated. "They burrowed back underground in their drill module."

"Actually…" Donatello chimed in, smiling, pulling a weird gadget from his belt. "I think my new seismic tracker could pinpoint their trail back to the Technodrome. And we've been looking for a chance to test the new Turtle Drill haven't we?"

Raphael rolled his eyes. "What generous plot convenience that is." He quipped.

Tyler smiled wide. "That's great!" he exclaimed, and began to walk towards the end of the alley. "Let's get going."

Leonardo stepped forward and grabbed Tyler by the shoulder, giving him a stern parental look. "We can't let you come with us Tyler. Shredder and his goons are dangerous. You could get hurt."

Tyler frowned. "I think I could outsmart those two jerks if I had to." He said

Michelangelo smiled and laughed. "Can't argue with that Tyler dude. But it would also be foot ninjas and Shredder and Krang. There's no way we can take a little guy like you with us."

Tyler scowled at the four mutants. "I bet that's not what you tell Zack" he replied, fishing for a reaction.

The Turtles eyes widened in surprise. Michelangelo laughed and spoke up first. "You know our buddy Zack?" he asked.

Tyler made a mental note to apologize to Zack for not believing him the next time he saw him, and nodded. "Yeah, he's two grades ahead of me. We talk sometimes at school." He frowned at the Turtles. "He says you made him the "honorary 5th Turtle" a couple years ago and let him go on missions with you. And I think if you can let him be your 5th turtle, you could let me be the 6th or something, and come along on this."

Raphael threw up his hands. "Between Zack and Slash and Tokka I think we already have enough additional turtles, thank you very much."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Alright, so don't make me a Turtle. But I'm still coming with you."

Leonardo gave him another stern look. "No you're not." He said firmly. "I'm sorry Tyler but it's just too dangerous. You should stay here. We promise we'll get your property back from those goons, you just have to be patient alright?" He turned to the other three. "Let's go guys."

Leonardo and Donatello walked towards the end of the alley and began to pry up the manhole cover. Raphael shrugged. "I guess we didn't have anything else to do today." He quipped, starting to walk towards the others.

"Sorry dude." Michelangelo added, putting a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Don't worry though. We'll get your stuff back no sweat. Just kick back in your room and order a Pizza and we'll return in no time." He began to walk towards the manhole with the others and then looked back over his shoulder. "Save me a slice, ok?" he asked, winking.

Tyler watched the four mutants climb down through the man hole cover, feeling extremely irritated. They'd let a kid like Zack tag along with them but not him? It wasn't fair! And, he quickly realized, he hadn't even gotten the chance to tell them WHAT the two mutants had stolen from him in the first place. What if they couldn't find the comic? He had to go with them, or he'd never see issue #1 of Atom Man ever again. And it had taken him way too long to find it in the first place. Tyler counted to five slowly and then ran down the alley, grabbing a discarded bent piece of metal from underneath the fire escape as he went. He jammed the end of the metal bar in one of the manhole slots and with an incredible amount of straining finally managed to pull the lid up over the lip of the hole enough to be able to push it aside completely. If they weren't going to let him come along officially, he'd just have to follow them.


	3. Chapter 2: The Trade

-2-

The Trade

"So let me get this straight." began Shredder, his calm voice clashing with the seething death glare in his eyes. "We sent you two to Dr. Morikawa's apartment to steal his top secret fuel formulas...and all you bring back with you IS A STUPID COMIC BOOK!?" he voice rose as he screamed the last words of his accusation, causing his two mutant cronies to jump back in fear and grab each other, shaking. He growled and waved the comic he'd confiscated from Bebop in their faces. "Does this look like something we can use!?" he snarled.

"We're really soiry boss" Bebop said, his voice trembling slightly. "We couldn't help it. Dose comics were just calling us."

Rocksteady nodded head. "Yeah boss, and den da turtles showed up before we could start lookin again, and we had to get outta dere!" He tried to smile reassuringly. "We'll go back later and get da plans for you, we promise. Once dose turtles are gone."

"SILENCE!" Shredder screamed, bringing the gauntlets on his left hand right up close to their faces. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses. I should turn you into mutant fillets right now!" He paced back in forth in front of them like a caged animal. "You two can never get anything right! Why do I even keep you around? I should have my head examined for ever thinking to rely on you."

"Oh calm down Shredder, don't be so dramatic." burbled Krang, as he continued to type on the computer console behind them. "Forget the fuel plans, I've come up with some more promising prospects since then."

Rocksteady looked a little annoyed. "You mean you sent us up dere for nuttin?" he asked indignantly.

Shredder spun around and grabbed the mutant by his horn, pulling him forward roughly and glaring straight into his eyes. "Did you say something, you ignoramus!?" he snarled.

Rocksteady stared in terror at the sharp gauntlet blades that were only a few inches from his eyes. "No boss, I'm sorry. I didn say nuttin!" he exclaimed quickly.

Shredder narrowed his eyes, and then shoved Rocksteady backwards hard, forcing Bebop to grab his friend by the shoulder to stop his fall. "You two go to your room. I can't stand the sight of your faces anymore today!"

"We'll call you if we need to send you out again." Krang added, still engrossed in his calculations.

Bebop and Rocksteady sighed in relief as Bebop helped his friend regain his feet. Overall, that had gone better than they would have expected. Bebop took a small step forward, trying to look as humble and deferential as possible. "So, can we have da comic book back now?" he asked.

Shredder spun around and cried out in inarticulate rage as he threw the book straight at Bebop's face, then began stalking towards the mutants, looking like he wanted to rip them open with his claws. Bebop grabbed the comic away from his eyes and he and Rocksteady turned on their heels and ran out of the viewing room. Shredder watched as they retreated and then turned back to Krang. "We really need to find some new help." he stated as the rage suddenly draining out of him, making him sound like an old man.

"That's what you always say Shredder, but you still keep them around anyway." Krang added, laughing.

"Shut up, you pink wad of chewing gum." Shredder shot back, before he began pacing back and forth again, letting his anger seethe as he began to think of what kind of punishment to hand to those two.

Suddenly a loud screeching alarm began to sound over the intercoms and several screens around the room began flashing red. Shredder spun around and ran to the nearest security video monitor. "What's going on?" he growled, eyeing the equipment.

Krang pushed several buttons, bringing up a status screen on the main portal. "Something just broke through our hull!" he exclaimed. "Check all the security cameras, it was in the North-east sector." he ordered Shredder.

Shredder began punching buttons, cycling through the various camera screens, until he came across the source of the alarms. He clenched his fists in anger and slammed them down on the keyboard beneath the screen. "Those blasted Turtles are here!" He screamed.

Krang punched a button and keyed into the camera Shredder was looking at. It showed a fuzzy picture of a drill nosed vehicle emerging from the white metal wall of the Technodrome, and the 4 turtles emerging from a door on the side. "Those slimy reptiles copied my Drill Module design!" Krang whined indignantly. "Doesn't anyone care about intellectual property these days?"

Shredder turned towards the alien and glared. "Forget your stupid pride for a minute and tell me how they found us! Even if they can drill down here, they would have been searching in the dark!"

"They must have followed the tunnel left by Bebop and Rocksteady's module." Krang explained.

Shredder clenched his fists again and growled in anger. "Those useless idiots. Not only can they not even complete a simple assignment, but they lead the Turtles to us." He turned and punched three buttons on the console, keying in to the Foot Soldier internal com system. "All foot soldiers, to the 3rd level north-east quadrant of the Technodrome. Deal with our intruders!" he screamed into the microphone.

"Should we order Rocksteady and Bebop there too?" Krang asked as he turned away from the computer screen.

"No, leave those bubble heads in their room, they've caused enough trouble today." Shredder turned and stalked off towards the door. "I'll oversee this issue myself. And..." he began, clenching his fist again, feeling the rage rise up inside him. "When this is all over those two chowder brains are going to wash and wax the entire Technodrome, inside AND out!"

* * *

"Well, that went surprisingly well." stated Donatello as the 4 turtles exited the cylindrical shell of the new Turtle Drill that was now sticking through the white metal wall. "I thought I might have been off on some of the calibrations on the seismic tracker, but it looks like we made it just fine!"

Raphael looked around and made a face. "I'd say you were definitely off. We didn't come in at the hangers like we should have, since we were supposed to be following Bebop and Rocksteady's tunnel."

Donatello smiled and shrugged. "Hey, close enough. At least we're here. Not bad for the first test drive, I'd say"

"Yeah" Michelangelo added, slapping his companion on the shell while he gestured towards the turtle drill. "And with this new baby we can finally go on the offensive and bring the fight to old-shred head whenever we need to."

"We're not here for a big fight Michelangelo" Leonardo chastised. "We're just here to get back Tyler's stuff. We can come back some other time for the big showdown when we're more fully prepared."

"Yeah yeah, fearless leader." Raphael began, putting his arm around Leonardo's shoulder. "We know. But we could always do a little extra damage while we look for the bozo twins couldn't we?"

Leonardo sighed. "Fine. You can smash anything that looks important, if we pass by while looking for Bebop and Rocksteady."

"Yes!" Raphael exclaimed, high-fiving Michelangelo.

An alarm suddenly began to sound through the corridor, and red blinking lights flashed from the corners of the corridor ceiling. Leonardo unsheathed his swords. "Sounds like they know we're here. Let's get going."

"So what exactly are we looking for anyway?" Michelangelo asked as they began to walk down the corridor.

Leonardo suddenly stopped short, causing Donatello to run into his back. Leonardo turned around, a look of surprise on his face. "You know...I never asked!" He said.

Raphael scowled. "Great, so we came all this way into villain central and we don't even know what we're supposed to find?" he exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his hand.

"You're looking for a limited edition issue #1 Atom Man comic" said a voice from behind them. All four turtles spun around, weapons in hand. As they caught sight of what was behind them, their eyes grew wide with shock, and their mouths dropped open. Tyler was standing behind them, leaning against the door frame of the turtle drill with a mischievous smile on his face. "Hi guys." he said as he waved.

Michelangelo was the first to speak. "Micro-dude, what are you doing down here?" he asked.

Tyler smirked. "After you four ditched me, I followed you into the sewers and stowed away in the back of this..." he looked back at the vehicle, narrowing his eyes "...weird thing. I didn't get to tell you what you needed to find and I knew you'd need my help."

Donatello starred at the kid skeptically. "You mean to say that you shadowed us all the way back to our lair and snuck onto the Turtle Drill without any of us seeing you?"

"Yep" said Tyler, smiling widely. "It was simple."

Michelangelo laughed good-naturedly. "Maybe we -should- recruit this little dude. Seems like he's got some moves." he commented.

Raphael sighed and smacked his forehead with his hand. "Master Splinter is going to kill us when he hears about this. Some ninjas we are."

Leonardo looked sternly at the boy. "You shouldn't have come here Tyler. It's very dangerous. We can't concentrate on fighting and recovering your stuff from Bebop and Rocksteady if we have to protect you too."

Tyler scowled. "You don't have to protect me. I can handle myself."

Leonardo shook his head. "You might think that Tyler, but you're just a kid. These are ruthless villains we're dealing with. The four of us have had years of martial arts training and experience. You haven't." He walked over to the kid and put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, just wait in the Turtle Drill were its safe and leave the searching and fighting to us."

Tyler frowned again, but finally decided to give in. At least he'd be able to tell them what to look for now. "Ok ok, you win. I'll wait here." he said, crossing his arms and looking annoyed.

"Finally, he listens to reason!" Raphael exclaimed.

Leonardo smiled and patted Tyler on the shoulder. "Thanks Tyler. We promise we won't let you down. So...what was it you just said we were looking for?"

"Those two mutant lunkheads stole my super rare limited edition issue #1 Atom Man comic." Tyler explained. "It's very valuable and very important to me, so please get it back in one piece." he asked. He looked at the Turtles, expecting them to nod their heads, and begin looking. But the four turtles were just standing there, staring at him with the most peculiar looks on their faces. "What are you waiting for?" Tyler asked with impatience. "I promised I'd wait in the drill like a good boy, so aren't you going to go look?"

Raphael stepped forward, glaring, and poked his finger right at the center of Tyler's chest. "You mean we got all geared up and came down here just so we could get back a COMIC BOOK!?" he yelled.

"Mondo-disappointing" groaned Michelangelo.

Donatello shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, is this any sillier than the stuff we usually have to put up with?"

"Personally I'd say yes." Raphael said with annoyance.

Leonardo sighed and put up his katana. "Ok everyone, back on the bus." he commented, pointing towards the Turtle Drill.

"What!?" cried Tyler indignantly. "You promised you'd get my stuff back, we can't leave now!"

"I'm sorry Tyler." Leonardo explained, shaking his head. "But I can't put anyone at risk just to go after a comic book, valuable or not."

"I don't think you realize just how valuable." Tyler stated, glaring.

"It doesn't matter, it still isn't worth putting you or anyone else in danger for." Leonardo said. "The way you were acting before, we thought they must have taken something REALLY important, not just a comic."

"But it IS really important to me!" Tyler responded.

Raphael shook his head. "Kid, learn a little perspective, why don't you? It's just a comic book." Tyler clenched his fists and glared at the turtle.

"I'll get us powered up and ready to leave." Donatello said, entering the cockpit of the Drill.

Tyler stared back at the three remaining turtles. "I thought you guys were supposed to be the heroes." he stated angrily. He could feel tears about to come to his eyes. "You promised you'd get back what those two mutants stole!"

Michelangelo knelt down next to Tyler and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright little dude. I understand how you feel; it can be a real bummer to lose something you care about. But it's never worth your life." He smiled, trying to cheer the boy up. "I'm sorry we couldn't help get it back after all. Tell you what; I'll buy you whatever comic book you want when we get back to the surface. Heck I'll buy you several. And we can order pizza and hang out. It will be fun!"

Tyler was still mad and upset about the loss of his comic, but he had to admit that Michelangelo's idea sounded ok. It would at least take his mind off things for a little while, until he could begin the arduous task of tracking down another copy of Atom Man #1, if there was another copy. "Alright, that's fine." he said, nodding his head reluctantly. Michelangelo grinned and held up his hand for a high five, which Tyler only gave him half-heartedly. The boy and the three turtles turned to re-enter the drill pod and leave the Technodrome, but at it was that very moment that the world suddenly decided to go crazy.

A barrage of laser fire issued down the corridor, smashing into the drill bit on the front of the vehicle, bouncing off the floors and leaving scorch marks on every white metal surface, and sending the Turtles and boy diving for cover behind the machine. A swarm of purple clad foot ninja robots came charging down the corridor, laser rifles blasting. Behind them came another wave of ninjas brandishing katanas and other deadly looking sharp objects. The rifle toting foot ninjas stopped and set up a line of fire, pinning the turtles down as the rest of the foot ninja began to advance through the lasers towards the vehicle. "Now what, Leonardo?" Raphael asked angrily. "How are we going to get into the Turtle Drill with those guys blocking our way?"

A laser bolt fired from one of the Foot soldiers struck a patch of important looking boxes on the top of the Drill, causing a small explosion. "Um...guys, we've got a problem." Yelled Donatello from inside the cockpit. "Those Foot just blew up our sonar navigation system. We won't be able to find our way back to the surface properly without it."

"Oh great! Now we're going to be stuck here forever!" shouted Raphael.

"Can you fix it!?" called back Leonardo

"Working on it as we speak." shouted Donatello. "But it's going to take a while, and all that laser fire isn't going to help."

Michelangelo pulled out his nunchuks and began spinning them. "Guess that means it's up to us to keep the gear heads busy." he shouted excitedly.

"Tyler, you stay here. And is soon as the laser fire dies down, you get in the Turtle Drill where it's safe." said Leonardo. He pulled his katanas from their sheaths and crouched down. "You guys ready?" he asked, turning to the other turtles.

Michelangelo nodded and Raphael grinned. "I was born ready!" he exclaimed.

"Then let's do it!" yelled Leonardo, leaping up on top of the Turtle drill, followed by the other two. "Go green machine!" The three of them yelled together, charging across the top of the vehicle and leaping forward towards the incoming Foot soldiers.

Tyler peaked around the corner and watched the three turtles begin to tear through the robots like tin-foil. It suddenly occurred to him that this was his chance. If those four weren't going to get his comic book back for him, he'd have to do it himself. Besides, the smart one probably wouldn't be done fixing their ride home for a little while longer. He'd have plenty of time to track down those two petty thieves and take back what was his. Tyler smiled to himself as he slowly sidled along the wall towards the opposite end of the hallway. As soon as he reached an intersection he turned and took off running. Now where would those two creeps be hanging out?

* * *

Rocksteady and Bebop slowly plodded down the stark white Technodrome corridor, heading back to their room. Bebop was in fairly ok spirits, as he thumbed through their new comic book, trying to find where he left off, but Rocksteady felt completely down in the dumps. They'd failed another mission AGAIN, and this time it hadn't even been because the Turtles had out fought or out-smarted them. They'd just plain screwed up, big time. Who knew what horrible punishment Shredder was going to assign them now! It made Rocksteady almost sick thinking about it. Would the two of them ever get anything right? Rocksteady turned his head and glared at his friend, whose nose was buried in the comic. Why wasn't he worried about this? "Why don't you just put dat stupid ting down? We've already gotten in enough trouble today because of comics. What if da boss is watchin on the cameras?" Rocksteady asked with annoyance.

"He said he didn' want to see our faces no more today." Bebop responded simply, shrugging his shoulders. "So he probably isn't. And this comic is really good, you've got to read it next." He added.

Rocksteady shook his head. "Dis whole day just goes to show dat nothin good comes from readin." He growled. "We're really gonna be in for it later. How much cleanin duty you tink da boss is gonna force us ta do dis time?"

Bebop closed the comic and stuck it in his back pocket again. He walked up close to Rocksteady and put his arm around the mutant's shoulder. "Hey, cheer up buddy." He said grinning. "It aint so bad. Da boss will calm down eventually. He always does. We'll do beddar next time."

"We never do beddar next time." Rocksteady responded glumly, looking down at the ground as they walked. "What if he fires us?" he asked, his thoughts returning to the dream he'd had that morning. A dream that was suddenly starting to seem potentially prophetic.

In the background an alarm began to blare, and red lights started flashing softly through the corridor, but neither mutant noticed. Bebop shrugged his shoulders and scratched his mowhawk. "Could be. He's fired us before. But he always hires us back later. Even after dat time we tried to join da Alien Shreddah a few months back." He said, smiling at the memory.

"Only because we accidently zapped him." Rocksteady added.

Bebop shrugged again. "Who cares why, he just did." He reached up and raised his purple sunglasses, looking at his friend eye to eye. "Do you want him to fire us for real?" he asked seriously.

"No!" Rocksteady exclaimed, shaking his head. "Then we'd be right back where we started! Back on the streets. And who would hire us den, since we aint even human no more?"

Bebop studied his friend closely as they walked. He looked a little shaken, a little scared even. Bebop scratched his head again, wondering what could have spooked Rocksteady that much. It couldn't just be a chewing out by the boss could it? Then it dawned on him. "You had dat dream again dis morning, didn't you?" he asked sympathetically. "Dat's why you're all worried."

Rocksteady was surprised that Bebop had seen through him so easily. But then, it really wasn't that strange at all, when he thought about it. The two of them had been close for so long. Rocksteady slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, dat same memory. Us, in the alley, dat night it rained. After da Purple Dragons kicked us out for screwing up da drugstore robbery."

Bebop nodded soberly. "Yeah, I remember. Dat Hun guy was really mean to us. It was a tough week." He smiled again, squeezing Rocksteady's shoulder and kind of shaking him playfully. "But dat's in da past, buddy. It aint got nuttin to do with today. Da boss will calm down, and give us anodder chance in a few days, and everting will be alright, like it always is." He walked ahead of Rocksteady and then turned his head, grinning over his shoulder, showing his teeth. "You gots to stay positive. Like me." He added, pointing his thumb towards himself.

Rocksteady cracked a smile. "I guess you're right. I probably am just worryin over nuttin'." He said.

"No probably about it." Bebop replied. "And of course I'm right." He added, flashing a thumbs up sign. "Now let's get back to the room, relax a little, and play some video games. Dat should take yoir mind off it."

Rocksteady smiled wider. Sometimes he envied his friend's ability to stay positive all the time. Stuff like this never seemed to bother Bebop the way it did him. But he always knew what to say to make Rocksteady feel better. "Yeah, dat sounds nice." Rocksteady said as he jogged forward to fall in step beside his friend. They continued down the corridor, walking at a good clip, engrossed in small talk, Shredder's chastisement fading into the background. Neither one of them took notice of the small twelve year old boy who spotted them from around a corner, and began to silently stalk after them.

* * *

Three minutes later the mutants reached their room. Bebop punched in the simple three digit unlocking code and the door slid open with a mechanical whir. "I'll get the system set up." Rocksteady said as he shut the door and lumbered across the room towards their beat up old TV and the pile of tangled wires and game pad controllers underneath.

"No problem" Bebop replied, as he knelt down next to their bunk beds, pulling the large cardboard box full of their comic books out from under the bottom bunk. He began thumbing through the messy piles of comics inside, an organization system that only he and Rocksteady really understood, trying to find exactly where he wanted to store their new comic while they played. To the right, Rocksteady dropped to the floor with a grunt and began to work on untangling the mess of cables in front of the TV, looking for the end of the AVI cables to plug in their game system. Engrossed in their activities as they were, both mutants still jumped about half a foot in surprise when the door behind them slid open again.

Rocksteady and Bebop both spun around, their eyes bugging wide in their sockets as they spotted who was standing in the door. "Y..you!" Rocksteady exclaimed in shock.

"Yes, it is I!" Tyler replied, smirking and leaning against the open door frame, looking like he thought he owned the place. "Surprised to see me?"

Bebop took off his shades and rubbed his eyes. Nope, that didn't help, the kid was still there. "How did you get down here, kid?" Bebop asked

"Yeah," added Rocksteady, nodding his head. "We're like a bajillion miles underground."

"You some kind of mole-poisen or somethin?" Bebop asked, setting his shades back on his nose.

Tyler frowned a bit and shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm not a mole." He walked forward into the room, closing the door behind him, and looked at his surroundings. He took in all the half-eaten bags of snacks, clothes strewn all over the place, random games and junk piled up in various corners, two small brown beat-up looking recliners facing a junky looking TV. Tyler smirked again. "Nice place you got here." he added sarcastically, walking around the room as he examined the various posters and piles of junk he saw.

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at the boy, completely dumbstruck. What was with this kid? They were barely even processing the fact that he was HERE, somehow, and now he was walking around their room like they'd invited him in. Rocksteady glared as the kid began rummaging through a pile of his clothes near the bathroom. "Hey, dat's my stuff kid, stop it!" he exclaimed with annoyance, jumping to his feet and walking over to grab Tyler by the shoulder, pulling him away from the pile of clothes. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Hey, you guys got to look through my room, it's only fair I get to do the same now." Tyler said matter-of-factly, walking past Rocksteady back towards the center of the room. As he passed the TV, something caught his eye, and he dropped to his knees in front of the huge pile of cables underneath. "Hey! You got a Battle Nexus II!? Cool!" he exclaimed, pulling the boxy video game system out of the tangle of wires. "I've got the other system at home, but I'm saving up for one of these also. I played it once at another kid's house, it was really great." He turned his attention to the small box of cartridges lying next to the TV stand and began to rummage, oohing and ahing over several games he found.

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other, feeling at a loss. Neither of them knew exactly how to handle this bizarre situation. Bebop's mind suddenly came back to their earlier question. "Hey kid, you still haven't told us how you got here."

"Hey!" Tyler suddenly exclaimed, startling the mutants. He held up a scratched looking video game cartridge. "Alien Slug Monsters from Planet X 3!? I've been dying to play this, is it any good?" he asked.

"Uh..uh...yeah it's pretty cool, I guess." Rocksteady answered, feeling completely awkward. Was this kid really trying to make small talk with them?

Tyler looked up and nodded towards a poster hanging on the wall across the room. "Nice "Zombie Chainsaw Cheerleaders" poster by the way." he said, sincerely. "I really like that series. You know the new one just came out in theaters this week? You guys gonna see it?" he asked casually, as he turned back to the game box.

"Um, we can't exactly just go to a theater like a couple of regular guys, ya know." Rocksteady replied curtly.

"We'll probably just steal a copy when it comes out on casette." Bebop replied.

"Oh..." said Tyler, seeming a bit surprised. "Yeah, I guess you probably would." He looked around the room again, and then focused on the bunk bed. "Who gets the top bunk and who gets the bottom?" he asked curiously. "Or do you switch sometimes?"

Bebop smiled and laughed to himself. "Rocksteady always gets da top bunk now. Or else he might stab me wit his horn if he sits up too fast."

"Dat only happened one time!" Rocksteady said with annoyance.

"One was enough." Bebop replied curtly.

Rocksteady shook his head and growled, turning his attention back to the boy. "Hey, kid, stop changing da subject. You didn' answer our question. How did ya get here!" he asked. His expression suddenly changed to worry, as he thought of a possibility. "You didn' stow away in our drill module did ya?" he asked. That would be just what they needed now, more reason for the boss to be mad at them.

Tyler waved the suggestion away. "Nah. The turtles have one of their own now. I got a ride down here with them. We followed your module trail with Donatello's new device."

Rocksteady and Bebop both looked at each other, fear dawning in their eyes. Uh oh, this was really bad! Rocksteady felt his heart begin pounding against his chest. "You mean da turtles are here now? In da Technodrome?" he asked Tyler, panic stricken.

"Yeah, they're a few corridors down." Tyler explained. "I left them fighting some foot ninja."

"Da boss is gonna to kill us!" Bebop exclaimed, all his earlier optimism draining away.

"What are we gonna do, Bebop!?" Rocksteady asked.

"Guess we'll have ta go find those dweebs and kick their butts." Bebop replied, pounding his fists together eagerly.

"But what about dis kid?" Rocksteady asked, gesturing towards the boy.

"I have a name you know." Tyler responded, not looking up from his examination of the game cartridges. "It's Tyler."

Bebop shrugged. "Let's just tie him up and leave him here. We got to hurry and find dose Toitles before the boss gets mad at us again."

Rocksteady nodded and began looking around the room for some spare rope or something they could use, but then Tyler stood up and turned to them, looking serious. "No need for that gentlemen." he began, trying to sound formal. "Once we take care of our business, I'll be out of your hair."

The two mutants looked at Tyler like he was nuts. "Business? What are you talkin about" Bebop asked.

"Yeah." said Rocksteady. "We don't have time ta fool around with you, kid, we're in enough trouble already."

"Well then let's get this over with quickly." Tyler responded. His expression hardened and he stuck his hand out. "Give me back my Atom Man comic, and you'll never have to see me again." he declared firmly.

Rocksteady threw up his hands in exasperation. "You're still on about dat?!" He walked up to Tyler and poked him in the chest with his index finger. "When are ya goin to get it through your head dat you aint getting it back?"

"Never." Tyler shot back defiantly. "That's why I came down here to begin with, and I'm not leaving until you fork it over.

Bebop smirked and shook his head. "I can't believe the Toitles would come down here just for a stupid comic."

"A very important comic." Tyler declared with annoyance. "It's what I keep telling everyone, but no one seems to get it."

"A comics a comic, kid." Bebop replied.

Tyler smiled. "Ha! If that's how you feel then you should have no problem just giving it back." he stated, looking like he'd just won a debate.

Bebop snorted. "No way. We's got a reputation to uphold."

Rocksteady nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we stole it fair and square, and we don't give nuttin back."

Tyler looked disappointed and annoyed at the mutant's refusal to bow to his logic. "Fine. If you won't hand it over I'll just have to find it and take it myself." He said, turning around and making a beeline for the box containing the mutants' comics. "You guys go fight the turtles or whatever, if you're so worried about them."

Bebop snorted and cracked his knuckles, feeling more irritated by the second. "You're really starting to get on our noives you little joik." he declared.

Rocksteady nodded and began flexing his own fists. "Yeah. We don't normally fight kids, but maybe we'll make an exception dis time." Tyler ignored the threats and continued to rummage through the box. He began to pull out comics from the top of the stacks and toss them aside. Rocksteady let out a yelp of annoyance and stomped across the room. "Hey, quit it kid! You're getting dem all out of order!" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees and gathering several of the comics strewn to the side.

"These are in order?" Tyler asked curiously, stopping to examine a stack of 5 issues. "Your organization doesn't follow any pattern I can see." he noted simply before tossing the stack aside.

Rocksteady growled and dove for the discarded comics. "You are really askin for a poundin kid" he snarled as he pulled the comics together in a haphazard pile and turned back to Tyler. "And it makes sense to us" he added, almost sounding hurt.

"We'll I guess if it works for you." Tyler said, shrugging his shoulders.

Bebop walked over and dropped to his knees as well, grabbing another pile of discarded comics. "Show a little respect for udder people's stuff will ya?" he asked with annoyance, shuffling the comics into the order they were supposed to be in.

Tyler looked over his shoulder with annoyance. "Yeah, like how you did for me?" he asked pointedly.

"Hey, we weren't throwin your comics all over da place like dis!" Rocksteady said.

"Yeah, we just took some off ta shelf ta read" Bebop added.

"And steal" Tyler finished. He pulled another three comics off the top of the pile and then spotted what he was looking for. "Aha!" he exclaimed, grabbing his Atom Man off the top, and knocking the stack askew, exposing the comics at the very bottom of the box. Tyler's eyes swept across the titles as he lifted up his comic. And then fixed on something...something... Tyler's eyes widened.

Rocksteady clenched his fists and ground his teeth in anger. He felt so mad he wouldn't have been surprised if steam came out of his ears, like in the Saturday morning cartoons. He'd never met any kid in his life with this much nerve. Coming into their room, poking through all their stuff, making a mess of their carefully sorted comics? Rocksteady felt like he was on the verge of just throwing hesitation out and ringing the kid's scrawny neck. He slammed his pile of comics down next to Bebop's and moved towards the kid, preparing to grab him. But in that moment the kid froze stiff, staring down at something he'd just spotted in the box. Rocksteady could see the look on the kid's face go from surprise to pent-up nostalgia to sudden ecstatic joy, in only a few instants, and the change took him by such surprise that he stopped cold, his hands inches from the back of Tyler's collar. Curiosity quickly got the better of him, and instead of grabbing the kid, Rocksteady looked over his shoulder, trying to see what had caught the boy's attention so thoroughly.

Tyler set the Atom Man comic down next to the box and reached inside, pulling out an old, worn, beat up looking issue that had been near the very bottom of the container. It was a copy of Bugman issue #25, "The Rise of ElectroZapper". Tyler held it up in front of him like it was the Holy Grail. "You've got Bugman issue #25?" he asked, his voice filled with awe.

"Um, yeah." Rocksteady said, feeling baffled again. Why was the kid acting like it was such a big deal? "We got a bunch of Bugman comics."

"Don't really read em much anymore dough." Bebop added. "Kinda lost interest. Dat's why dere on da bottom now."

Rocksteady nodded, shuddering a bit. The two of them had once been just as much into Bugman as they were with any of the other comics they loved. But that was before the time Shredder and Krang got the bright idea of using mutagen to make an army of giant insects. Things had not gone well, to say the least, and now both mutants found any kind of "giant bug" stories gave them the serious willies. It also didn't help that they knew a guy personally who had gotten stuck as a giant fly, and he'd tried to kill them on multiple occasions. Bugman just wasn't fun anymore after those kinds of experiences. Rocksteady looked at the cover, a shot of the titular hero flying down to battle his arch nemesis Electrozapper, and felt the unpleasant tingle of revulsion and unease creep up his spine again. "I thought we was gonna get rid of dose?" he asked Bebop.

"Just haven't gotten around to it yet." Bebop replied, shrugging.

A light suddenly went on in Tyler's eyes. He spun around and leaned forward towards Rocksteady, causing the mutant to jump back an inch in surprise. "You mean you don't want this comic anymore?" he asked forcefully.

Rocksteady nodded nervously and scooted back another inch. This kid was kind of creeping him out. "Yeah, like we said, we kinda lost interest in dat series."

Tyler grinned widely, which just served to unsettle Rocksteady more. His eyes almost seemed to sparkle with excitement. "Then trade me!" He declared enthusiastically.

"WHAT!?" Rocksteady exclaimed shaking his head in confusion. He must have heard wrong. "What do you mean "trade you"? You mean you actually want dat old issue?"

"It can't even be worth dat much." Bebop added, looking equally confused. "It's not a fancy collector's edition or nuttin. Not like dat Atom Man issue yous so woiked up about."

Tyler smiled, looking a bit wistful. "Yeah, I know. But this particular comic has sentimental value. My dad gave it to me for my 7th birthday. It was the last present I got from him before..." He hesitated, his eyes betraying deep pain and sadness that took even the two mutants by surprise. The boy shook his head and wiped his eyes. "Anyway..." he continued "That stupid Kenny Noland ripped it up in front of me a few months later when he stole it from me at school. I'm always on the lookout for another copy whenever I go to the comic book stores, but I haven't had any luck." The look of excitement returned to his eyes. "That is, until now! So..." He looked at the two mutants again with expectancy. "Like I said, trade with me! My Atom Man #1 for your Bugman #25!"

Rocksteady felt like his head was spinning. This kid just didn't make any sense. First he chases them down demanding his stolen comic back, and trashes their stuff, and now he was asking them to trade with him like...like what? Like...they were his friends? What was wrong with this kid? Didn't he understand who they were? If they wanted something they just took it, they never paid or traded for anything. Rocksteady looked at Bebop with pleading eyes, hoping his friend might have a response to this incomprehensible situation, but Bebop just raised his shades and scratched his head, his eyes showing Rocksteady what he had already feared; the other mutant was just as much at a loss as he was.

Tyler took the two's continued silence and confused stares as a sign of dissatisfaction with the trade terms. He slung the backpack he was carrying off his shoulder and unzipped the top flap. "Listen, I'll even throw in my new issue of the Amazing Spore AND Mutagen Man #4 on top of the Atom Man comic." he said, pulling the two comics out and setting them in a pile. "That's three comics in trade for your one Bugman, that's a great deal guys." He finished.

Bebop crossed his arms and seemed to be actually thinking about it. "You know kid, we could just steal dose other comics too. Why should we trade?" he asked.

"Come on, don't be like that!" Tyler exclaimed, shaking his head. "The deal is beneficial to all of us. You guys get three new comics in exchange for just one comic you already admitted you don't even want anymore. And I get one comic that I really really want in exchange for three comics that I don't value as much. It's win-win." He gave the mutants a somewhat sardonic look. "What's the point of stealing just for the sake of stealing, if you're better off another way? You know you two don't always have to be in "evil minion" mode." he finished and then smiled. "And I told you before, it's Tyler, not kid."

Rocksteady stood up and paced around the room, rubbing his temples. This kid was starting to give him a headache. Now he was offering them more comics, just for one lousy issue of some old series? And the way he kept talking to them... Tyler and Bebop both watched Rocksteady pace, confusion and concern playing over their faces. Rocksteady stopped walking and stood still, looking like he was thinking hard. Finally the mutant turned around and looked at the kid, confusion and even hurt playing across his face. "W...why would you want to trade with us?" He stammered out, his voice giving away the true weight of the question that he felt.

Tyler looked at him sideways. "Well...why not?" he asked. "I have a comic you want, and you have one that I want. Trading is just what you do." he finished, shrugging, as if it made all the sense in the world.

"But..." Bebop began, looking at Tyler with a bit of a pained expression. "We're da bad guys..."

"Dat's right." Rocksteady said feeling angry again. He stomped back over and crouched down, starring at the kid seriously. "We aint you're school chums, or some guys ya met in da comic store. We're mutants. We work for the Shreddah."

Tyler shrugged again. "So? What does that have to do with it?" He asked simply.

"So!...So!...You think dis is just a joke or sometin? Stop messing with our heads!" Rocksteady shouted back, taking even Bebop by surprise.

Tyler slid back a little in surprise at Rocksteady's outburst, but after a moment he frowned and returned the mutant's stare. "It's not a joke. Why would you think that?" He threw up his hands and looked exasperated. "I just want to trade. Why are you acting like that's so weird? It's really not."

Rocksteady stared at the kid, feeling totally floored. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't get anything out. No coherent thoughts seemed to be forming; he seriously couldn't react to this turn of events. He sat down hard, still staring at the kid.

Tyler frowned in curiosity. The rhino looked like he was about to have a stroke or something. "Is he alright?" he asked Bebop.

Bebop took his shades off and looked at his friend's seemingly shell-shocked state. To be honest, he was feeling almost the same way. He turned his gaze back to Tyler, giving voice to the issue that was hanging over the scene. "Kid, we just aint used ta anyone treatin us like dat..." he paused, looking at his friend again.

"Like what?" Tyler asked curiously.

"You know...like we're normal." Bebop finished.

"Oh..." Tyler said. He looked at the two mutants for several seconds and it started to dawn on him just a bit. He felt his face start to flush with embarrassment. "I guess I should have realized that. Makes sense. I...I don't really have many friends either. Most of the other kids at school pick on me or just avoid me." He paused for a moment, and then smiled again. "But you two seem pretty normal to me. When you're not in "AARG! TURTLES!" mode." He glanced around the room again. "You guys like comics and movies and video games, just like lots of people I know." He shrugged. "Seems to me like you could be fun to hang out with, at least when you're "off the clock"."

Rocksteady looked up at the kid, his face a mix of anger, disappointment, and mistrust. "You don't really mean that." he growled softly. "Quit acting like we're you friends or sometin. Cause we're not."

"We'll why couldn't we be?" Tyler asked. "There's no rule against it. I don't care if you're mutants or if you work for a super villain. I mean, as long as you don't keep stealing from me or try to beat me up or something, I think we could hang out or whatever."

Tyler picked up the three comics and held them out towards Rocksteady and Bebop. "And to show you I'm serious, let's make this deal official and final already." he said earnestly. Rocksteady stared at the comics and then at Bebop, feeling like he still couldn't believe what was happening. Tyler smiled again, and held them out farther. "Come on. No jokes, no tricks. Just three guys who like comics trading a few issues between them. Totally legit, didn't even have to steal them or anything."

Rocksteady looked at Bebop again. His friend smiled slightly and shrugged, before reaching out and putting a hand on one corner of the offered comics. Rocksteady looked back at the boy, feeling his own mix of emotions. Was he really telling the truth? Did he really actually want to be their friend? After a moment, Rocksteady finally, hesitantly, reached out and took the other corner of the offered comics.

"Great!" Tyler said. He let go of his end, leaving the comics with Rocksteady and Bebop and then picked up Bugman #25 from the floor, stuffing it in his backpack and zipping up the flap. "There, we've traded. and..." He extended his left hand towards Rocksteady. "A handshake seals the deal" he said, smiling.

Rocksteady looked at the kid's hand with apprehension, and then slowly reached out with his own left hand and shook Tyler's, and a smile broke out on his face. "Tanks, I guess." he said.

After a moment Tyler let go of the Rhino's hand and turned to Bebop. "Pleasure doing business with you." he said as he reached forward.

Bebop reached forward and shook Tyler's hand without hesitation. "You're one weird kid." he said, smiling honestly, as he put his shades back on. "But dat's kinda cool."

"Well, I guess I better get going." Tyler said, standing up and shouldering his backpack. "If the turtles are done fighting those robots, they're probably wondering where I am by now. If they have to come looking for me there will probably be more trouble." He looked at the two mutants and smiled. "Thanks for the trade. We really should hang out together sometime. Go to the arcade, get some grub, maybe catch a movie."

"I don't know bout that." Bebop said as he climbed to his feet. "We don't really go up to the soiface much unless it's for a mission. We kind of draw a lot of attention."

Tyler shrugged again. "As long as you're not doing anything threatening or carrying around a bunch of weapons, it would probably be fine. Who cares if some people stare at you? I bet it would be better than just sitting around here on your free time." he said, gesturing to their messy room.

"Yeah, probably" Bebop replied, scratching his head.

Tyler pulled a piece of paper and a pencil out of the side pocket of his backpack. "Do you guys have a number or any way I could contact you?" he asked. "If we are going to do this sometime, we'd need to be able to contact each other to set up and everything.

"Uh, yeah actually." Bebop said, and then gave him the number that keyed into their com-link devices.

Rocksteady continued to stay quiet, listening as the kid and Bebop bantered back in forth. Part of him still felt confused and reluctant, unwilling to really accept this situation. Was all this really happening? The kid asking for their number suddenly seemed to snap him out of his thoughts. He climbed to his feet and looked at the boy, half-bewildered and amazed. "Kid... You...you really do want to be our friend? To hang out and stuff?" he asked.

"I'd say we already are friends." Tyler said cheerfully. "We just had our first comic trade after all." He suddenly reached up and patted the mutant on the upper arm once. "See ya later dude. You really should learn to relax more. You seem a little...high strung." he added playfully. He then turned and walked towards the door. As he hit the button to the left of the frame, causing the metal door to slide open, he turned and looked back over his shoulder. "And the people who know me call me Tyler, alright. Enough with the kid business." he finished.

Rocksteady smiled despite himself and chuckled a little. "Ok...Tyler." he finally said.

Tyler smiled and gave the mutants a thumbs up as he exited the room and headed down the hallway to the left. As the two mutants watched him go, Bebop suddenly laughed to himself and slapped Rocksteady on the shoulder in amusement. "You know, dat kid...er, Tyler, is right. You really do need ta loosen up, buddy." he spoke playfully. "A coupla times you looked like you was gonna pop a blood vessel or somethin."

Rocksteady sighed and sat down on Bebop's bunk. "I...just had a hard time believing him, is all." he said. "No one's treated us like we was human since..I don't know when."

Bebop walked over and sat down next to his friend. For a long time neither of them said anything, just starred ahead. "Yeah, I understand how ya felt." Bebop finally spoke.

"It...was kinda nice." Rocksteady added, smiling slightly. Bebop nodded and smiled back. "You tink we'll really see him again?" Rocksteady asked.

Bebop shrugged. "Who knows. It's possible." then he sighed. "But probably not."

Rocksteady cracked a small smile. "Now who's being the downer?"

Bebop smiled again, "Yeah, got me dere."

Rocksteady looked down at the three comic books that were still in his hand. "So...you wanna read our new comics den?" he asked.

"Sure. Let me finish Atom Man, you can read one of da udder ones." Bebop replied.

Rocksteady handed Atom Man to Bebop and begin to look at the other two, trying to decide which one to read, when suddenly they're communicators squawked. "Uh-oh, dat can't be good." Rocksteady said and he grabbed the purple handheld video screen from his belt. He hit the receive button and the screen was instantly filled with the angry face of Shredder.

"Bebop, Rocksteady, get your lazy butts to the north-east third floor corridor now. We have a situation!" Shredder screamed angrily.

"Right away Boss!" Bebop replied, and Rocksteady keyed off the communicator screen and absent mindedly stuffed the new comics into his back pocket. The two mutants jumped to their feet and looked at each other, a brief moment of worry passing between them. Then they turned and ran out the door. And as they hustled down the hallway, a new thought occurred to Rocksteady, completely foreign to anything he'd ever thought before during his time working for the Shredder. He hoped Tyler and Turtles would escape before they got there.


	4. Chapter 3: Escape

-3-

Escape

Tyler rounded the corner and looked down the hallway. It looked like the battle was still raging. Severed and crushed robot parts littered the ground around the Turtle Drill, but there were still maybe half a dozen purple robots left, blasting away or attacking with their ninja weapons. And Shredder had joined the fight as well, Tyler could see him crossing swords with Leonardo, right in the thick of the action. Tyler sighed; so much for this being easy. And if Shredder was fighting now, it probably wouldn't be long before he called in Bebop and Rocksteady to help. In fact the call could have already gone out. Tyler really hoped the two mutants wouldn't show up; it would only cause more complications.

Tyler spotted Donatello fighting along with the other three turtles. "Guess the repairs must be complete." the boy commented out loud to himself as he snuck back along the corridor. He was hoping it might be possible for him to slip back into the vehicle while everyone was still occupied with fighting, that maybe no one would have even noticed he was gone. But no such luck.

Michelangelo was the first to spot him. "Tyler dude, where have you been!" he called, as he smashed another foot soldier with his chuks. "You had us worried sick when Donatello told us you weren't in the Drill."

"What, he's back?" Raphael asked, stabbing his current robot opponent and glancing over his shoulder. He spotted the boy and scowled. "Kid, you might be one of the biggest trouble makers we've ever seen." he called angrily, jumping back from the sword of another foot soldier.

"Tyler!?" Leonardo called, looking over his shoulder to spot the boy, as he continued to hold off Shredder's blade. "Why did you run off! Shredder's had us pinned down here this whole time. What if you'd been hurt or captured?" He asked as he dodged under a slash from Shredder's sword.

Tyler smiled with embarrassment and rubbed his head. "Sorry, it took me a little longer than I thought to get things worked out, but it's all good."

Michelangelo stared over at the boy in surprise. "You mean you actually got your comic back from those two muscle-heads?"

"Not exactly." Tyler responded. "But it's cool. We can go now."

"Oh, thank you for granting us your permission" Raphael shot back sarcastically.

"Tyler, we told you to stay in the Turtle Drill!" Leonardo shot back angrily, straining against Shredder's sword. "We're going to have to have a serious talk when we all get back to the surface."

"I second that idea!" Donatello shouted with annoyance, tripping several foot ninjas with a sweep of his Bo. "I had the Drill repaired 10 minutes ago. We could have been out of here if you hadn't disappeared."

"Ok, ok, I said I was sorry!" Tyler shot back. Man, even the smart one was getting on his case now.

"Don't take that tone with us young man!" Raphael shot back angrily. "We've just about had it with you!"

"Just get on the drill Tyler." Leonardo called. He looked over his other shoulder. "Donatello, get us powered up as quickly as possible." he called, before dodging under a slash from Shredder's sword.

"Losing your focus turtle?" Shredder taunted, slashing again, forcing Leonardo back against the side of the drill. He turned his head and glared across the corridor at Tyler. "Recruiting more children into your ranks, wretched reptile?" he sneered.

Leonardo smiled confidently. "It's a long story, tin-face. But I think we'll have to tell it another time!" Pushing against Shredder's sword and bracing his shell against the Drill, Leonardo quickly raised both feet and kicked Shredder hard in the stomach. Shredder let out an "oomph" of pain, his eyes opening wide in surprise, as he flew across the corridor and smashed into the last two remaining foot bots. The tyrant and his soldiers crashed against the far wall and fell in a tangled heap.

"Ok, let's get out of here!" shouted Leonardo. Michelangelo and Raphael both headed for the open door to the Drill, Donatello was already inside, and Tyler could hear the engines beginning to power up. Just then, several laser blasts flew over his head, causing him to instinctively duck, and struck the side of the drill near the turtles, stopping their retreat. Everyone turned in the direction of the blasts.

"Uh-oh, here comes the Calvary" Michelangelo groaned as he caught sight of the approaching trouble.

Tyler's face fell in disappointment and worry as he looked down the hallway to see Rocksteady and Bebop charging towards them, laser pistols drawn. _"Great. Things officially just got complicated."_ He thought to himself.

* * *

Rocksteady and Bebop rounded the last corner and caught sight of the North-east 3rd floor corridor where Shredder had ordered them. A giant yellow and green cylindrical vehicle, somewhat similar to the Technodrome's own drill modules, was sticking out of a large hole in the metal wall of the corridor, and Tyler and three of the turtles were heading towards the open door. Rocksteady instantly spotted Shredder to the left side, trying to untangle himself from a pile of smashed foot soldier parts. The mutant felt a surprising pang of disappointment at seeing the Turtles and the kid still here, but quickly pushed it back. They had a job to do.

He looked over to Bebop as they ran and gave him a short nod, which the other mutant returned. They pulled their laser pistols and began firing, both of them intentionally aiming higher than normal to insure they didn't hit the kid by accident. "Say your prayers, Turtles!" Rocksteady cried, using one of his favorite stock battle cries. The Turtles dove behind some random destroyed machinery, but the kid was too far away from the door to the vehicle or any useful cover and instead crouched to the ground in a ball, covering his head. " _Don't just sit dere kid, run or sometin"_ Rocksteady thought to himself. The two mutants pulled up a few feet away from the boy and continued firing exclusively in the direction of the turtles. " _Come on kid, get goin' "_ Rocksteady urged silently, keeping one eye on the turtles and one eye on the kid, who wasn't budging.

To their left, Shredder finally managed to get untangled from the destroyed foot bots and climb to his feet. He surveyed the battlefield with growing anger, and then spotted the boy. "Rocksteady, Bebop, grab that child!" he bellowed.

Tyler heard Shredder's command and instantly uncurled from his defensive position. Looking back over his shoulder, he locked eyes with Rocksteady, and the mutant saw the real fear there for the first time. The boy turned and ran for the open vehicle door, still trying to keep his head down to avoid any fire.

For a brief split second, Rocksteady hesitated. But an order was an order. His usual instincts kicked in and he charged, clearing the space between himself in the kid in only a few seconds. He grabbed the collar of Tyler's t-shirt and pulled him back, throwing his right arm around the kid's neck in a headlock. But...he managed to hold back most of his strength, grabbing Tyler and holding him with only a fraction of the force he would have normally used on someone else. Even that much mutant strength was still too much for Tyler to overcome though; the boy struggled and pulled against Rocksteady's arm but didn't manage to budge the mutant even an inch.

Shredder laughed evilly and walked across the room to stand behind his two mutants. "Good work you two...for once. You arrived just in the nick of time." He turned towards the Turtles, who glared at him out of cover. "Come out you miserable Turtles, or your little friend here is in for a world of hurt." he threatened nastily.

The Turtles glared daggers at Shredder as they stepped out of cover. "Don't you dare hurt him you fiends." Leonardo growled seriously.

"I don't think you're in a position to be making threats anymore, turtle" Shredder replied. "The one in the drill too. I want all four of you where I can see you!" he continued, nodding towards the Turtle Drill.

Donatello exited the drill, holding his hands in the air and joined his three comrades. Shredder laughed again. "This is too easy. Now I want all of you to set your weapons down on the ground and step back." He said, and then motioned towards Rocksteady with his head. "Don't try anything funny, or I'll order Rocksteady to do something unpleasant to your friend."

"I knew this kid was going to get us in trouble." Raphael complained as he started to reach for his Sais.

"You'll never get away with this dude!" Michelangelo replied.

"I already have Turtle." Shredder gloated. "Now hurry up and do as I say!"

"You heard the man, we have no choice." Leonardo said sadly, reaching for the hilts of his swords.

In that moment Rocksteady experienced, for perhaps the first time in his employment with the Shredder, an intense crisis of uncertainty. If the Turtles refused to put down their weapons, Shredder was going to order him and Bebop to hurt the kid, and Rocksteady realized, to his own surprise, that that was an order he didn't -want- to carry out. But of course the Turtles were the self-proclaimed "heroes" of this show, there was no way they wouldn't surrender if it meant protecting someone. But even if the Turtles DID put their weapons down, even if Shredder was finally able to defeat their enemies here, once and for all, he might still order him and Bebop to "get rid of" Tyler after it was all over. There just didn't seem to be any way out of this that the mutant could see. He glanced out of the corner of his right eye at Bebop. From the side he could see Bebop's eyes behind his shades, reflecting the same anxiety and worry that he was feeling too.

Rocksteady decided at that moment to try something drastic, something he'd never have thought of doing before today. Praying silently that Bebop would play along, Rocksteady leaned his head down slightly and whispered in Tyler's ear. "As soon as da Turtles put dere weapons on da ground, stomp on my foot as hard as you can and run." he said as quietly as possible. "Make it look real." he requested.

Tyler stopped struggling for a split second, a tiny smile playing across his face. He nodded his head a fraction and then resumed pulling. Rocksteady glanced to his right again at Bebop, hoping his friend was willing to back him up. Bebop kept his face forward but turned his eyes behind his shades to look at Rocksteady. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a brief smile and he gave a tiny nod. Rocksteady smiled inwardly and felt gratitude welling up inside him. Bebop was in.

In front of them, the four turtles pulled out their weapons and began to slowly lower them to the ground. "Come on you wretched reptiles, I don't have all day." growled Shredder.

Tyler and the mutants watched the Turtles lower their weapons to the ground, almost holding their breath. As soon as the weapons touched the ground, Tyler suddenly shouted dramatically. "Let go of me, horn head!" he cried with enthusiasm as he raised his sneaker and brought it down hard on Rocksteady's booted foot.

In that second, Rocksteady regretted telling Tyler to "make it look real." Dang, the kid could stomp HARD! Rocksteady let out a yelp of real pain, instantly letting go of Tyler and dropping his laser pistol. Tyler charged forward towards the vehicle as Rocksteady grabbed his throbbing foot with both hands and started jumping up and down on his other foot. He almost immediately lost his balance and fell backwards right into Bebop, who stumbled back and smashed into Shredder, sending all three of them crashing into the wall behind them. The three collapsed in a tangled heap of limbs at the base of wall, completely dazed.

"Wow, seeing that made coming down here almost worth it!" Raphael said, smiling as he picked up his weapons.

"Come on, let's get out of here guys!" Leonardo exclaimed.

"Don't have to tell us twice." Donatello replied, picking up his Bo and booking it towards the drill.

"Yeah, I've definitely had enough of this place for one episode!" Michelangelo added, running to join the others. When he noticed Raphael wasn't behind him, he turned and looked back. "Hey what are doing, Raphael, we've got to get out of here!" he called back to his comrade.

"Might as well finish what we came for." Raphael said, as he approached the dazed Rocksteady and Bebop. Rocksteady was un-tangling himself from Bebop as the turtle came up from behind. Raphael kicked the mutant on the seat of the pants, knocking him down onto his friend, and then knelt down and grabbed the comics sticking out of the Rhino's back pocket. "We'll be taking these back now, chumps. Don't let us catch you stealing from kids again." He stated, before turning running back towards the Drill.

"Hey!" Rocksteady cried indignantly, struggling to his feet. He ran towards the turtle's vehicle and reached it just as the door slammed shut in front of him. Rocksteady felt a mix of emotions welling up in his chest; anger, disappointment, and even maybe...betrayal? Tears suddenly welled up at the corners of his yellow eyes. "Give dose back ya stupid turtle! Da kid said it was fair and square!" he cried out, pounding his fist on the door.

* * *

Raphael entered the passenger compartment of the Turtle Drill and tossed the three comic books nonchalantly onto Tyler's lap as he took a seat across from him. "Here are your dumb comics by the way." he said with annoyance. "I expect a big thank you, after all this trouble you put us through".

Michelangelo starred at the comics in the boy's lap. "I thought you said you got them back? And wasn't it just one comic originally?" He asked curiously.

Tyler stared at the comics with disbelief, and then looked up at Raphael with anger in his eyes. "What are you doing, why did you steal these from them?" he asked.

The three turtles looked at Tyler, eyes widening in shock. Raphael ground his teeth in anger and fixed the boy with a penetrating stare. "What are you talking about! Didn't we come down here in the first place to get your stupid comic back? I thought that was what you wanted!?" he screamed, his face starting to turn red.

"I can't take these back now though." Tyler replied indignantly. "That would make me a welcher! I shook hands and everything."

"What are you talking about!" Raphael shot back.

"Whoa, simmer down dude." Michelangelo said, putting his hand on Raphael's arm. "Watch the temper."

"Raphael's right though. I thought you wanted your comic back, Tyler?" Leonardo said, looking at the boy with confusion.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, I did. But then I ended up trading my comic and those other two for one of Bebop and Rocksteady's comics instead." he explained, pulling Bugman #25 from his backpack. "This comic to be exact."

The three turtles stared at Tyler as if he had just grown a second head. "You...did...WHAT!?" Raphael exclaimed, bringing his hands up to his face and staring through his fingers with an expression of utter disbelief in his eyes.

"I traded comics with Bebop and Rocksteady." Tyler explained again. He held up the three comics Raphael had grabbed. "These don't belong to me anymore. They belong to the mutants, fair and square. I can't take them back."

With that, Tyler stood up and strolled to the door. The Turtles watched him, completely dumbfounded, unable to say anything or move as Tyler hit the release button and opened the vehicle door.

* * *

Rocksteady jumped back as the door suddenly slid open. Behind him Bebop climbed to his feet and walked up to join his friend. Tyler stood in the door, with three of the Turtles behind him, looking out with confusion (and annoyance in the case of the Red one) on their faces.

Tyler saw the disappointed look on Rocksteady's face and felt a pang of guilt, and then anger at Raphael. "Sorry, I didn't get to tell the Turtles ahead of time about our deal. They didn't know." Tyler explained, nodding over his shoulder at Raphael. He tossed the comics to Rocksteady. "These are yours. Enjoy them."

Rocksteady caught the comics, and then looked at the kid with surprise. A feeling of unexpected warmth grew in his chest, and he involuntarily smiled. He reached up and wiped one of his eyes with his left hand. Tyler smiled back and began to turn around to leave, and then looked over his shoulder. "Sorry about the horn head bit earlier too. I'll see you later, we'll figure out when we can hang, ok?" he said. Behind him, the three turtles eyes bulged in their sockets, and Raphael made a kind of half-strangling, gagging noise in his throat. Tyler rolled his eyes and smiled. "Gotta go. I think I just gave Raphael an aneurysm." he said sarcastically. "I seem to keep having that effect on people today."

The door to the Turtle Drill slid shut, and a few moments later the machine backed out of the hole in the wall and disappeared, heading back to the surface. The two mutants watched the vehicle leave in silence. Behind them, Shredder finally shook off his daze and regained his feet. He glared at the empty corridor and giant hole in the wall and then turned his fury on his mutant minions. "You incompetent fools!" he screamed, startling the two mutants. "Even children can outsmart you!"

"Sorry boss." Rocksteady replied, turning around and hiding the comics behind his back.

"You two get some foot soldiers together and start repairing that wall immediately!" Shredder screamed. "And when you're done with that, you're going to clean the Technodrome's septic system. And you're not going to bed until it's done!" He shrieked, before turning and stomping off with a swish of his cape.

"Ok boss, you got it..." Bebop called, as he turned to Rocksteady. They both looked at each other and turned a little green. Cleaning the septic tanks was the absolute worst job they could be assigned, they both hated it.

"Ah man. I knew we was gonna get it." Rocksteady sighed.

"Yeah. We'll probably be pukin all night after we're done" Bebop added. After a moment, he put his hand on Rocksteady's shoulder and smiled. "But hey, it really ain't dat bad."

Rocksteady pulled the three comics from behind his back and looked at them, thinking of Tyler. "Yeah, your right, pal." he said, smiling, patting Bebop's shoulder as well. All things considered, it had been a surprisingly good day after


	5. Chapter 4: Being Normal

-4-

Being Normal

Rocksteady stood near the mouth of the alleyway, in a patch of shade cast by a nearby fire escape platform, and watched the men and woman walking up and down the sidewalk outside. Normal, 100% genetically human people, going about their day to day lives, on their way to or from work or school, carrying out errands, or just going wherever. Normal people out on a normal Friday afternoon. Not like him. Rocksteady couldn't even believe he was standing here. What were they thinking, coming out here like this? Going out in public when they weren't on a mission? Someone, a cop or maybe one of those darn turtles, was going to see them and then there would be trouble. Rocksteady shuffled his feet impatiently and took another glance at the beat up watch on his left wrist. Tyler was late.

Rocksteady let out an animal growl and kicked some trash back down the alleyway. "I knew dis was a mistake." He said angrily.

Bebop stood a few feet away, casually leaning against the brick wall of the opposite side of the alley, feet crossed in front of him, looking extremely cool and collected in contrast to his nervous friend. "Chill out Rocksteady, he's only a few minutes late. Everyting's cool" he stated calmly.

Rocksteady didn't feel convinced. "We shouldn't even be here" he stated. "We're gonna get in so much trouble."

Bebop smiled. "How we gonna be in any trouble? Da boss and Krang don't care what we do when we aint on a mission for em."

Rocksteady frowned. "What if we run into a cop who recognizes us or somethin?"

"Who cares?" Bebop asked, shrugging his shoulders. "We can take on any puny humans who try ta mess wit us. But dey'd probably be too scared to try witout lots of back-up."

Rocksteady looked back to the sidewalk beyond the alley, once again staring at all the people walking by. He felt nervous cramps in the pit of his stomach and took a deep breath, trying to steady his himself. "Everyone's gonna freak out when dey see us just walkin down the street like we're normal people."

Bebop frowned and looked at his friend more closely. So he was getting hung up on that again. "I don't think so. Some people might, but da city is used ta mutants by now. Dey'll probably just stare."

Rocksteady frowned at that. "Don't tink I want a bunch of people starin at me all day." He replied grumpily.

"You neva had a problem comin up here before, when we was on missions." Bebop observed. "We even got take-out at dat chinese place dat one time, and no one gave us any trouble."

Rocksteady sighed and hung his head. "I know, but dat's different. Being on a mission, we was always just tinkin about following da boss' orders, and nuttin else." He looked back towards the street again. "Now we aint got a mission or orders to follow. We're just...here."

"Well, if you want you could tink of our mission as having fun. To just get out and do normal stuff, like we used to before." Bebop replied, smiling. After a moment he walked across the alley and put his hand on Rocksteady's shoulder. "Don't obsess about it so much, pal. If ting's get crazy or we run into trouble, we'll deal wit it. But probably nuttin will happen, so just relax and let's enjoy ourselves."

Rocksteady sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll try." He responded. Bebop patted him on the shoulder and returned to his place by the opposite wall. Rocksteady glanced at his watch again, still feeling apprehensive, and then began watching the people again.

They'd both been pretty surprised when they'd actually gotten a message from Tyler on their communicators about a week after the crazy incident when they'd met the kid. Rocksteady in particular hadn't really believed they'd ever hear from the boy again; a part of him still couldn't really buy that some normal human kid would actually want to hang out with them, but he had been wrong on that count; Tyler had called them up and asked if they wanted to hang out at the arcade near his apartment sometime. About a week and a half after that things worked out that the two of them had an entire half a day off with no chores or missions from Shredder (though they could still be called in at any time) and that morning the two mutants had set up to meet with Tyler, after his school let out, in the alley only a few blocks from the arcade. Well at least Bebop had set it up, Rocksteady at first insisted it would be a bad idea, and it took a lot of convincing from his friend to get the mutant rhino even this far. And now the kid was late. Rocksteady felt the tightness in his chest growing stronger. A million scenarios for how this day could go wrong kept flashing through his mind at rapid fire speed. They were being such idiots! Why did Bebop think something like this could work? They couldn't try to be normal! They weren't normal! This was going to be a disaster! And the kid probably wasn't even going to show up!

Rocksteady glanced at his watch again for what felt like the millionth time, growling under his breath. Enough was enough, this experiment was over. He turned back to Bebop scowling and pointed down the alley. "C'mon, Let's get outta here. Da kid aint comin. Dis was a big mis…"

"Hey guys!" a voice called down the alleyway, cutting Rocksteady's protest off in midsentence. The two mutants turned and saw Tyler running down the other end of the alley towards them, panting and covered in sweat.

Bebop smirked at Rocksteady and then grinned, waving at the kid. Rocksteady's eyes opened wide in surprise and he smiled as well, despite himself. " _I'll be darned. He's here after all"_ the mutant thought to himself.

Tyler reached them and then bent over his knees, gasping to catch his breath. "You ok, Tyler?" Bebop asked with some concern.

Tyler stood up and nodded, wiping his forehead with one sleeve. "Yeah, was just running all out. Sorry I'm late, had to take the long way around the school building to avoid Kenny and his gang." He explained. He opened the side pocket of his backpack and pulled out a half-full bottle of water. He popped the cap and took a long deep swig. "That's better. Want any?" he asked, holding the bottle out towards the mutants.

Rocksteady felt caught off guard once again. This kid was really something. "Nah, I'm good" he said, holding up his hand. Bebop shook his head as well.

Tyler nodded and screwed the cap back on, returning the bottle to his backpack. "So now that I'm finally here." He began, zipping up the pocket of the pack. "Are you guys ready to have your butts kicked by the arcade king?" he asked, smiling widely.

* * *

Rocksteady rolled the joystick a half turn and hit the two middle buttons, executing another perfect spinning kick special attack against his half-beaten opponent. As his digital enemy bounced across the screen with a satisfying crash, Rocksteady smiled and finally acknowledged what had slowly been creeping up on him this past half hour; he was actually having fun! More fun than he could remember having in a very long time. Being out in the fresh air, playing brand new state-of-the-art games that wouldn't be available on home systems for months, it was an experience Rocksteady hadn't had in almost a decade. Bebop had been right all along, this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Sure, when they first arrived at the arcade a couple of smaller kids scurried out upon catching sight of the two large mutants, but most of the patrons, preteens and teenagers fresh off a long week of school, didn't give them more than a second glance, especially as the mutants appeared to be there to simply play games just like everyone else. The manager had looked a bit worried upon spotting them for the first time, but as he observed that the mutants weren't really disturbing his customers or causing trouble, he resolved to simply keep an eye on them as he would any other customer who looked potentially disruptive, though he did stay near the phone behind the prize counter at the back of the establishment…just in case.

Tyler had immediately challenged the mutants to Deadly Conquest 3, the newest 1 on 1 fighting game in the popular though controversial series, and right away proved that he wasn't just boasting about his "arcade king" statement. Despite their ample amounts of experience with video games, after thirty minutes of battles Bebop and Rocksteady were both only managing to just barely keep up with the number of wins Tyler had against them. The three of them kept fighting, the loser switching off with whoever was waiting, until they eventually ran out of quarters, with Rocksteady the current victor. Tyler and Bebop went together to the back of the building to get more quarters, leaving Rocksteady to battle the computer until they got back. Or at least so he thought…

"Ah man!" the kid next to him yelled in frustration, as Rocksteady delivered a flying high kick to his enemies' head, finishing off the last smidge of his health bar., and earning himself another victory. "And that was my last quarter too." He added with annoyance.

"You almost had me for a minute dere, kid. Betta luck next time." Rocksteady replied, grinning from the high of his latest win.

"Yeah, yeah." The kid replied, shrugging. "I gotta go now. See you around Rhino guy." He said, turning to head out to the street.

"Uh..ok!" Rocksteady replied, smiling wider to himself as he watched the boy walk away, before turning his attention back to the game. Never in a million years had he thought any other kid in the arcade besides Tyler would want to actually challenge him to a game like that. The kid hadn't seemed afraid or creeped out by him at all, he'd just walked right up, stuck his quarter in the machine, and joined the match, just as if his opponent wasn't a six foot tall talking Rhino. Rocksteady let out a happy sigh and felt himself fully relax and let his former worries go. He'd have to apologize later to Bebop for being such a worry wart earlier. Thinking of which, Rocksteady quickly leaned to the left and took a peek past the game machine, trying to spot Bebop and Tyler at the back of the building. They were taking a while with those quarters. Rocksteady kept one eye on the game, his hands and fingers still moving deftly across the controls, as he continued to search for his friends among the crowd of kids. If his attention hadn't been so divided, he might have sensed the presence approaching him quickly from behind.

"Alright, what trouble are you up to this time!" stated a serious voice from right behind the mutant.

Suddenly the sharp gleaming point of a katana blade appeared over Rocksteady's shoulder, only half a foot from the rhino's right eye. "WAAAAUGH!" Rocksteady yelped, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. He spun around quickly, pressing himself back against the game cabinet, nearly tipping it over, and laid eyes on the figure behind him.

A turtle was standing behind Rocksteady, his sword drawn and pointed at the mutant's head. It was the blue-masked turtle, the one Rocksteady thought sounded like a younger, wimpier version of himself, and he was staring at Rocksteady with a serious and stern look on his face. The other three turtles stood a few feet back behind him; they're weapons were not drawn but matching looks of suspicion were plastered on their faces. All four of them were wearing large brown trench coats, buttoned up to the neck and tied in front with a sash, and large brown wide-brimmed fedora hats. Obviously a disguise, though anyone could easily tell they weren't human just by seeing their faces.

Rocksteady tried to catch his breath and felt a sharp spike of anger at the turtles. He was just starting to relax and enjoy himself and now these wimps had to show up and scare him to death and ruin it. "Hey, what's da big idea? Ya nearly gave me a heart attack!" He growled angrily at them.

"We'll be the ones asking questions" Leonardo replied, keeping his sword pointed towards Rocksteady.

"And you better answer quick, horn breath. We're not in the best of moods" groused Raphael, crossing his arms and glaring at the mutant.

"Is Shredder thinking of expanding into the arcade business or something?" Michelangelo asked, smiling with his usual good humor. "Didn't think tin-grin was the type."

Rocksteady glared at the Turtles. "I aint up to nuttin. I was just playing a game." He peaked over his shoulder just in time to see his unmanned character taken out by the computer opponent, sending the program into the game-over countdown. Rocksteady clenched his fists and felt his anger increasing. "And you just made me lose my quarter!" He responded through clenched teeth.

Donatello gave the mutant a sarcastic sideways look. "Since when are you ever not up to something?" he asked skeptically.

"Hey, we can have a day off if'n we want to!" Rocksteady shot back.

"A day off? That's a good one dude." Michelangelo replied.

"We? So Bebop is here too, of course." Leonardo commented. "And where is your partner in crime?" he asked, glancing around Rocksteady back into the building.

"I bet he's in the back, smashing the change machine or something." Raphael added.

"He is not! We aren't doing nuttin, seriously! Why do you green freaks always havta get in the way of everyting!" Rocksteady yelled back.

"Hey, it's our job, we're the heroes of this here show." Raphael explained.

Leonardo narrowed his eyes and brandished his katana threateningly. "You better hurry up and tell us what you're *really* doing here, or we're going to have to force it out of you" he threatened.

Rocksteady growled angrily and reached under the back of his t-shirt, pulling a laser pistol from the secret holster he had attached to his belt. "I told ya I'm not up to nuttin. But if it's a fight you want, then I'll gladly give it to ya." he spoke menacingly, pointing the pistol at his opponents. The other three turtles immediately pulled their weapons and went into defensive postures. "I'm gonna crack dose shells of yours wide open." Rocksteady said menacingly, tightening his finger on the trigger.

"What's going on here?" a young voice called out from behind the group. Five heads turned to see Tyler and Bebop approaching from out of the crowd of kids who were starting to gather to watch the confrontation.

"Tyler!?" the four turtles exclaimed at once, looking at the boy with shocked expressions on their face.

"Hey, its da Toitles!" Bebop exclaimed, dropping the bag of quarters he was carrying and reaching for his own concealed laser pistol. He ran past Tyler to join his friend, glaring at the enemy gathered before them. "What are you shell heads doin here?"

"We've been trying to find out the same thing from your friend." Donatello replied, leveling his Bo-staff at the two mutants.

"But it looks like he wants to rumble instead." Michelangelo added, raising his chuks.

Raphael looked between the mutants and Tyler. "So I guess you ended up kidnapping that kid after all, you creeps? A good thing we came along when we did."

Tyler looked up from where he was bending over to pick up the dropped bag of quarters. "Um excuse me, what?!" he asked with annoyance, narrowing his eyes at the Turtles.

"Get ready guys." Leonardo said, crouching and raising his swords. "Let's take these two out and save the kid."

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other and nodded. "You Toitles are really startin to bug us. It's time to say your prayers!" Bebop said with menace, raising his gun.

"We's finally gonna finish you off once and for all, right here, right now." Rocksteady added.

Tyler rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Hey, hey, enough! Stop it!" He yelled, running out to stand in-between the two parties. Both the Turtles and the mutants stepped back in surprise, averting their weapons as Tyler stepped between them. "You're all acting like idiots." he added.

"Hey kid, what are doing!?" Raphael exclaimed in exasperation.

"Tyler step aside, you're going to get hurt." Leonardo said, motioning with his head for the boy to move.

Tyler ignored the Turtles and gave Bebop and Rocksteady a stern disappointed look. "I told you guys no fighting didn't I? You're going to get us kicked out of here or something." He looked at their drawn laser pistols with annoyance. "And you both promised you weren't going to bring any weapons."

Bebop and Rocksteady looked at their guns and then back to the boy. A blush of embarrassment came to Rocksteady's cheeks and he lowered the gun to his side, looking sheepish. "Yeah...I guess we did." he replied, sounding embarrassed. The turtles just stared, they're eyes growing wide.

"Come on Tyler, we had ta bring somethin to protect ourselves with." Bebop said defensively. "Who knows what we might run into. Ya neva know."

"You're giant mutants with super strength" Tyler replied, not letting up with his stern stare. "You don't have to worry about most threats. If anyone caught you with those things we'd be in huge trouble. Come on guys, put them away" he pleaded.

"Alright, alright" Bebop replied, tucking the pistol back into its holster.

"And no fighting." Tyler added.

Rocksteady reluctantly returned his weapon to its holster, but kept his eyes trained on the enemy. "Ok, no fighting." he said, glaring at the Turtles. "But dey started it!" he added sulkily, crossing his arms.

"No, you started it, when you joined the side of evil" Leonardo shot back, and the other Turtles nodded behind him

Tyler turned around and focused his stern look of annoyance towards the turtles. "And you…" he began, crossing his arms. "Is this a usual thing for you guys, harassing innocent people who aren't doing anything wrong?" he asked.

The turtles stared at Tyler as if he were nuts. "Innocent!?" Raphael responded back, "Have you even MET those two?"

"Those two are about as close to being innocent as I am to going on a date with April." Donatello said sarcastically.

Tyler smirked back at them. "Did you actually see Rocksteady doing anything illegal?" he asked pointedly.

"Well, no..." Leonardo began, looking confused. This conversation wasn't going like it should.

"Then what are you doing bothering us!?" Tyler shot back.

"Micro-dude, those two are bad news". Michelangelo began, looking at the mutants angrily. "They're always up to something."

Tyler crossed his arms again and glared. "Well they aren't up to anything this time. We're just hanging out. Like normal people. And that's it."

The turtles looked extremely confused and exasperated. Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other with surprise and both began to smile. After all these years they were seeing the Turtles put in their place and by a twelve year old kid no less! Rocksteady crossed his arms and smirked. "Yeah, just like I told ya wimps. I wasn't doin nuttin, just playing a stinkin video game. Dat aint no crime!"

"Dis is our day off. We can spend it howevers we want" Bebop added.

"Since when do villains have days off?" Raphael asked.

Leonardo glared skeptically. "What are you creeps playing at? We know that the Shredder never rests. His evil is always active, ready to bring new pain and misery to this city."

"Down boy! Your dramatic hero bit is ramping up a little." Raphael added jokingly, putting a hand on Leonardo's shoulder.

Bebop smiled and raised his hand. "Uh, actually da boss totally does rest. He likes meditatin and stuff for da whole day every 2nd Wednesday and Saturday."

"I think he probably just takes a nap most of da time dough." Rocksteady added.

"Old shred-head is starting to feel the years is he?" asked Michelangelo with humor.

"Hey hey hey!" Leonardo suddenly exclaimed, raising his hands in exasperation. "We're totally getting off topic here!" He turned his attention to Tyler, his face showing genuine worry and concern. "No matter what they've said to you Tyler, you can't trust these two. They're dangerous. Being around them is a bad idea, especially for someone like you."

"Yeah, they're probably just waiting for the chance to ransom you for money, or brainwash you into joining the Foot or something." Raphael said.

Rocksteady suddenly felt a surprising twinge of real hurt in his chest. He narrowed his eyes at the Turtles again. "Hey, you freaks don't even know us." He said.

"We wouldn't do any of dat stuff to Tyler." Bebop added.

"Yeah, and we're supposed to just forget all the times you did stuff like that in the past?" Donatello asked.

"Yeah, dis is different." Bebop replied.

"I fail to see how this could possibly be any different." Raphael replied snidely.

Tyler looked the Turtles in the eyes. "It's because we're friends." He said to them as he took a step back to stand closer to the mutants

"Yeah!" Rocksteady echoed, putting his hand on Tyler's left shoulder. "Dat's right. We're friends."

"And they're aint nuttin you can do about it." Bebop replied, grinning.

Leonardo sighed and shook his head. "They're not your friends Tyler, they're just trying to use you. You can't listen to them."

Tyler scowled. "I'm getting tired of your broken record statements, Leonardo. If you're going to keep hanging around and bothering us, we'll just have to go someplace else." He turned around and looked at Bebop and Rocksteady. "Come on guys, let's ditch these jerks and go get something to eat."

Rocksteady grinned widely. "Yeah dat sounds great." He glanced over Tyler's shoulder and stuck out his tongue at the turtles. "Later, wimps!" he added.

"Yeah, see you bozo's later. Da next time we meet, we're gonna paste you for real." Bebop said.

"Wish I could say it was nice seeing you again, but it really wasn't this time." Tyler added, as he turned around.

The four turtles watched in flabbergasted silence and the boy and his two mutant companions walked away. Leonardo turned to his fellow turtles and scratched his head in confusion. "What exactly is going on here!?" he asked.

"Everyone keep a lookout for flying pigs and falling chunks of sky" Raphael said with worry in his voice, "The writers must have flipped their lids."

"So...do you think we should follow them?" Donatello asked.

"Of course! We can't leave the micro-dude along with those clowns! Who knows what could happen." Michelangelo said.

Leonardo nodded, as he holstered his swords. "Michelangelo's right. We have to keep an eye on those two. Come on Turtles, let's haul shell." And with that the four mutants set off running down the sidewalk after the boy and Shredder's goons.

* * *

Rocksteady looked over his shoulder as he walked and growled under his breath. The turtles were following them. He could see them several yards back, walking in a small little pack with their hats and collars pulled around their faces, as if they were a group of spies. Rocksteady rolled his eyes mentally. And people thought he and Bebop were the dumb ones. How those shell-heads could think those stupid coats would fool anyone was beyond him. He turned his eyes forward, trying to concentrate on the ongoing conversation Tyler and Bebop were having and forget about their stalkers. The three of them rounded the corner and reached their destination; Vinnie's pizza. Rocksteady's mouth began to water as he caught sight of the sign and smelled the scent of cooking pizza wafting on the air. It had been several weeks since he and Bebop had eaten any decent surface food. "Oh boy! I'm starvin" Rocksteady exclaimed happily, forgetting all about their pursuers as they approached the restaurant.

"Yoir always starvin, horn head." Bebop shot at him playfully as they approached the door.

"Hey at least I aint a literal pig." Rocksteady shot back smiling. He looked through the window as they passed; eyeing the tables full of human patrons, and his eyes fell with worry. "Ya tink dey'll let us in witout callin da cops or somethin?" he asked wearily.

Tyler waved his hand, smiling coolly. "Chill Rocksteady. Everything's been fine so far right? And the guys here know me; I come in all the time. I'll tell them you're cool." He looked at them both pointedly. "You will be cool right? Keep the blasters out of sight please."

"Just as long as dey don't start anyting." Rocksteady said grumpily, motioning over his shoulder.

Tyler looked back and caught a glimpse of the turtle pack as they stopped at the corner of the street, pretending like they were waiting for the light. The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance and shook his head. "Those dorks. They're never going to give up are they? Just ignore them, even if they try to bother us again. Be the bigger mutants."

"But we aint da bigger mutants." Bebop replied.

Rocksteady smiled. "Actually we kinda are now. Every since we had our growth spurt."

Bebop crossed his arms. "Ya know what I mean. It's not our style to just take it." He looked at Tyler with skepticism. "You want we should just sit dere and let dem keep botherin us?"

"Is that really so bad?" Tyler asked. "If you fight them, we'll get kicked out and you won't get to enjoy any food. Probably won't be able to come back again. Wouldn't you rather just ignore them and get to enjoy the pizza instead?" The boy smiled. "Plus, think about how much it will drive them crazy to not be able to catch you doing anything wrong." he added with a sly look.

Bebop smiled. "Yeah, I guess yoir right. Dose Toitles were acting pretty shocked when you told dem off at the arcade."

Rocksteady laughed. "Yeah, I wish I'd had a camera."

"So then are we going in to eat or are we going to stand here talking all day? Come on, we're blocking traffic." Tyler said, pushing the door open. The two mutants nodded and followed the boy into the restaurant.

Many pairs of eyes around the restaurant stared in surprise as the boy and the two mutants entered. Rocksteady felt his nervousness returning, but Tyler boldly walked across the room, ignoring the various looks from around him, and picked out an empty booth on the wall next to the window. The boy plopped down in the seat facing the opposite wall of the establishment and motioned for the mutants to follow. Rocksteady opened his mouth to object to such a visible seat, but Bebop walked ahead of him, plopping down into the booth facing Tyler. Rocksteady sighed and trudged over, taking a seat next to Bebop.

From his spot the mutant could see the door to the restaurant, so he easily caught sight of the four turtles as they entered. The turtles huddled near the door, looking around, trying not to appear like they were staring at the boy and his two companions, and then made their way across the room, taking the empty booth right behind Tyler. Rocksteady glared at them over Tyler's shoulder, and the purple and blue ones, who were on the side of the booth facing his direction, glared right back. A nervous looking waiter approached the trios table and set down three large menus before scurrying off, looking relieved to be away from them. Rocksteady shot the turtles one more grumpy look before raising his own menu in front of his face, blocking out the sight of them as he began to search through the list of pizzas.

"Ya know, da pizza toppins here are really weird." Bebop commented, wrinkling his pig nose. "What is all dis stuff? Chocolate? Gumdrops? Asparagus? Jelly Beans? Sushi!? Who would evah order a pizza wit any of dat kind of stuff?!" Behind Tyler one of the Turtles coughed suddenly. Bebop looked over the top of his menu at Tyler. "What kinda crazy taste buds do ya have kid?"

Tyler laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, I know. This place prides itself on offering every possible topping imaginable. But they've got plenty of normal style pizzas too. Just stick to the right hand side of the menu.

Bebop glanced at the right hand section and grinned. "Oh yeah, yoir right. Tanks."

"I'm getting da "mountain of meat" pizza." Rocksteady said with enthusiasm, licking his lips.

"Da Double Decka pepperoni pizza sounds great to me." Bebop replied.

"And I think I'll have my usual. Korean Barbecue." Tyler said, and then cracked a smile when he saw both mutants make a face. "It's not that weird. It's just some veggies and barbeque pork and a spicy sauce. Not like any of the stuff on the other side of the menu."

Rocksteady shook his head and looked grossed out. "Still seems weird to me."

"Yeah, me too." Bebop added.

"Well whatever. I like it." Tyler replied before standing up. "I'm going to the bathroom and then we'll order. Be right back" he said before exiting the booth.

As soon as Tyler was gone both mutants raised their heads and glared with annoyance across the way at the turtles. "You wimps gonna follow us around all day?" asked Rocksteady in irritation.

Leonardo returned their stares with equal power. "We'll follow you as long as it takes to find out what you're really up to." he shot back.

"Plus it's a great excuse to grab some pizza." Michelangelo added, smiling over his shoulder at them.

Bebop banged his fist on the table in anger. "Fer cryin out loud, we aint up to nuttin. When are ya going to get dat through yer thick skulls?"

"Probably when you get it through your thick skulls that we don't believe you." Raphael replied, turning around to stare at them too. "So you can drop the goody goody act and just spill it on what you're plotting."

Rocksteady shook his head and rubbed his brow with one hand. "Yous guys are givin me a headache." He looked over at his companion. "Why are we even botherin talkin to dem?"

"I don't know, you tell us." Raphael said.

Donatello shook his head in disgust and joined in. "I can't believe you two are ordering meat on your pizzas." he said in exasperation, making a face. "You guys are both mutants, you're part animal! And you're getting a pepperoni pizza Bebop? Isn't that like cannibalism?"

Raphael turned back to his fellow turtle and gave him an "are you serious?" look. "This is what you want to talk about? Their choice of pizza topping? We've got bigger issues here!"

"I can't help it. It grossed me out." Donatello replied.

Bebop laughed and smirked. "I may be a mutant warthog now, but I was human before, and pepperoni was always my favorite topping. Dat hasn't changed. Nevah will."

Rocksteady smirked as well. "Does da smart turtle have too sensitive a stomach?" he asked in a teasing voice. His expression changed to a scowl and he crossed his arms. "Only wimps and freaks eat sissy veggie pizzas or all those disgusting weirdo toppings." he added.

"Bet deh like flies on dere pizzas" Bebop added with a laugh, and Rocksteady made a mock disgusted face.

"Nah, you're thinking about our friends the Punk Frogs." Michelangelo said with a laugh. "They're the ones who love flies and other bugs on their food."

"And I am not sensitive." Donatello replied defensively. "It just doesn't make sense that you two would eat like that." He stared at Rocksteady. "Rhinos aren't even carnivores in the wild." he added.

Leonardo sighed with annoyance. "I think we're getting a little off topic here. Again." He looked at his companions, who were all turned away from him, engaged in conversation with Shredder's mutant duo. "And...nobody's even listening to me."

"Hey, I don't care about any of dat science mumbo-jumbo, you dweeb. I eat what I like." Rocksteady shot back in annoyance.

"Hey science is science. You can't argue with it!" Donatello replied.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "What an amazing and brilliant defense that was, Donatello." he added sarcastically. "I'm sure they've been moved to see the light after hearing that one." Donatello shot him a dirty look and Raphael laughed.

Bebop smiled meanly and pinched his nose with one hand. "Hey, I'm da dorky poiple toitle, and I love science so much I'm gonna marry it!" he said in a scarily accurate imitation of Donatello's voice.

Michelangelo and Raphael both burst out laughing and even Leonardo cracked a tiny smile. Donatello glared at his companions and then at Bebop."Yeah, real clever. A five year old could have come up with it. And I do not sound like that!" he stated angrily.

"Dude, except for the accent, that was perfect!" Raphael said between breaths.

"Yeah, maybe you should consider quitting Shredder and going into a career as a voice actor!" Michelangelo added.

Bebop smiled, looking a little pleased with himself. Rocksteady felt himself involuntarily smile too. Even though the turtles were their enemies, it kind of felt good that they had really laughed at something they'd done, instead of teasing them or picking a fight. "Hey, I can do a pretty good version of the blue one of yous guys!" he added, wanting to join in on the fun.

"Really? Let's hear it!" Raphael said, looking like he was starting to really enjoy himself.

"Yeah, let's hear you do fearless leader." Michelangelo added, giggling.

Rocksteady opened his mouth to do his imitation when Leonardo slammed his hand down on the table, looking irritated. "Enough messing around guys! We're not here to make chitchat!" He exclaimed, giving each of his companions a stern look.

Michelangelo's eyes fell and he looked a bit ashamed. "Sorry, we were just having a bit of fun." he said.

Raphael rolled his eyes and smiled playfully. "You just don't want to hear Rocksteady's imitation. Probably afraid he'll nail you."

"Raphael be quit!" Leonardo snapped, causing all three of his companions to widen their eyes in surprise.

"Ok, sorry." Raphael said, looking a bit shameful.

Leonardo looked around at the others, delivering them each a reproachful glare. "You guys are acting like we're just hanging out with a couple of friends. But you're forgetting..." he pointed across the booth at the mutant duo. "They're the enemy!"

Rocksteady's face fell slightly. He was surprised to realize that the turtle's comment had actually stun, just a little. Of course it WAS true. The four mutants across from them were their enemies; in any other situation they'd be trying to kill each other. There's no way the six of them could ever get alone. But for a brief second he had started to let himself think that maybe those four dweebs weren't really that bad after all, that maybe they could at least call a bit of a "truce" just for today. But it didn't look like that would be the case after all.

Leonardo glanced across his three companions again, giving them the best stern "I'm in charge" look he could muster. "We're here to keep an eye on Tyler and make sure those two don't do anything to hurt him or drag him into their negative influences. We are not here for a friendly chat, alright?" The other three turtles nodded, temporarily cowed by Leonardo's forcefulness. The turtle raised his head and fixed his intimidating eyes on the two mutants across the table. "I still don't know what you're playing at, or what you expect to gain by being around Tyler, but you better listen close." He narrowed his eyes at the mutant. "If you do anything to hurt him, or try to brainwash him or influence him to become a criminal, we are going to make you sorry."

The look in Leonardo's eyes sent chills down Rocksteady's spine. He'd only rarely seen any of the turtles this serious before. The mutant sighed tiredly and put his head in his hands, looking a bit depressed. Repeating the same stuff was getting exhausting. "We really ain't gonna do nuttin to him. Honest." he stated warily.

"Yeah, and we ain't tryin to get nuttin out of him." Bebop added. "We're just hanging out to have fun."

Rocksteady looked down at his hands, away from the turtle's probing gazes, appearing almost embarrassed. "He treats us like we're normal, ya know?" he said quietly.

The four turtles looked at one another, some comprehension beginning to dawn in their minds. They all knew what it was like to be feared or rejected for the way they looked too. Leonardo continued to stare across at the mutants, but felt a twinge of doubt growing inside him. Something about them seemed genuine this time. Maybe they actually were telling the truth. But how could he possibly know for sure? Leonardo shook his head, his serious expression falling away, replaced by uncertainty. "I don't know what to think anymore." he said.

Donatello looked at his companion with disbelief. "You aren't saying you actually believe them now?" he asked.

"Maybe they are telling the truth." Michelangelo said, glancing back at the mutants and shrugging. "They've never been any good at acting. I think what you see is what you get." He smiled kindly at them and then turned back to the other turtles. "Maybe they really do like the micro-dude after all." he stated.

"Speaking of Tyler, where is he?" Raphael asked, starting to glance around the restaurant. "He's been gone a while, enough for a couple of commercial breaks. It shouldn't be taking him this long."

"You're right, he has been gone a while." agreed Leonardo, leaning out of the booth and craning his neck to look past the crowded tables.

The six mutants turned and began looking around the establishment. Michelangelo was the first to spot him. "Uh oh, looks like the micro-dude is in big trouble." the turtle said, worry in his voice.

The remaining five mutants turned in the direction Michelangelo faced and spotted the boy. Tyler was standing up against the wall at the very back of the restaurant, near the pay phones and the hallway leading to the bathrooms. A group of five kids were standing in a semi-circle in front of him blocking his exit. As the mutants watched, the kid at the front of the pack, a mean looking heavyset kid with a mullet and a jean jacket, reached out and shoved Tyler back against the wall, while the surrounding children laughed cruelly.

"Ah man, not cool!" Raphael stated angrily. "Those bullies are ganging up on him."

"We've got to do something Leonardo." Donatello stated.

Leonardo nodded. "You're right. Let's go show those kid's it's not nice to pick on others." he stated.

All four turtles nodded and prepared to get up, but they were all suddenly distracted as Bebop slammed both his fists into his table and stood. None of them could see his eyes behind the purple shades, but they could tell from the set of his jaw, and the curling of his lips, showing bared teeth, that he was MAD. Rocksteady gritted his teeth too, feeling anger begin to pulse through his body. He looked up at Bebop and caught his eye, nodding in affirmation of his friend's resolve. Without saying a word Rocksteady stood up, and the two mutants turned and stomped across the room towards the mob of kids cornering Tyler, leaving the Turtles behind.


	6. Chapter 5: Hidden Depths

-5-

Hidden Depths

As the mutant duo approached the kids, they became able to hear the conversation going on. "Thought you could get away from me by sneaking out the back huh you little wimp?" the mean fat kid asked menacingly. He was obviously the leader of this little pack of rats. He shoved Tyler against the wall again and the surrounding kids laughed as if on cue. Rocksteady glanced to his right to see Bebop cracking his knuckles in anger, and felt his own irritation build higher. These kids were in for it!

"Lay off me Kenny, we're not in school right now. You're going to get us all in trouble with the owner." Tyler replied back, trying to stare his opponent down defiantly.

Kenny Noland smirked and crossed his arms. "That old geezer ain't gonna do nothing. I own you inside the school and out, little Tyler." He smiled mercilessly and held out a hand. "I think you owe me some money. I didn't get any lunch today, and me and my friends are starving." The rest of Kenny's mindless cronies laughed and high-fived each other and Kenny shoved his open hand towards Kenny's face. "Pay up! Or you know what will happen." he stated.

Tyler looked at Kenny with fear in his eyes and began to reach his hand towards his pocket. But then he spotted Rocksteady and Bebop approaching from behind Kenny's group. His eyes met the two mutants and a knowing smile played across the boy's face. Kenny's expression changed to surprise and he took a small step back from his target. "What are you so happy about?" he asked nervously.

"Oh nothing." Tyler began, grinning. "I just thought I'd introduce you to two new friends I made recently." He nodded his head to the mutants behind Kenny. "I'm sure some of you guys have seen them on TV before."

Kenny and his gang slowly turned around and caught sight of the two mutants towering behind them. Kenny's face instantly drained of color and he took a step backwards, nearly running into Tyler himself. "Bebop…and Rocksteady…" the boy mumbled fearfully. The kids recognized the mutants all right, and they were scared stiff.

Tyler grinned wider, and crossed his arms. "I told you guys I knew them, but you wouldn't believe me."

Rocksteady smiled cruelly, enjoying the terrified reactions of the bullies. "Hi guys, how's it going?" he asked in a mock sincere voice.

"You ain't messing with our little buddy now are you?" Bebop asked, rubbing his left fist with his right hand in an intimidating manner. "Cause dat's kinda what it looks like from here." he finished his voice full of menace.

Kenny's eyes bugged wider in panic. He looked at his friends for support but found none at all. Taking another step back, his face suddenly broke out in a manic smile and he threw his arm haphazardly around Tyler's shoulder. "N..no way! Tyler and I are great friends, we just like to joke around sometimes." His smiled wider and glanced to the side at Tyler, his eyes filled with panic even as he tried to smile. "Ain't that right Tyler."

Tyler looked at Kenny like he was crazy. "Um...yeah, whatever you say." He commented in annoyance, pulling the bully's arm off his shoulder and taking a step away from the kid.

Kenny's eyes grew even wider with panic as Tyler moved away, leaving him caught in the middle of the semi-circle with the mutants staring down at him. Rocksteady laughed to himself inside, thoroughly enjoying the fear he saw in the little punk's eyes. He suddenly knew exactly how he was going to turn things around. "Hey, did I hear something about Tyler buying you lunch?" he asked. "Boy, that's really a nice thing he does for you ain't it?" he asked sarcastically.

Kenny nodded his head and began to look a little calmer. "Y...yeah...that's right. Tyler buys me lunch sometimes. Since I can't afford it myself. Yeah…He's a great friend!" he stuttered out, hoping the mutants would swallow his story.

"Sometimes?" asked Tyler with incredulity. "Try every single day!"

Rocksteady nodded his head. "Yeah, Tyler's really nice like dat. And since he helps ya out every day, I for one tink it's only fair dat maybe you do da same for him." he said, smiling like a shark.

Bebop nodded and smiled too, catching on to Rocksteady's idea. "Yeah, dat's only fair. Why don't yous guys treat us ta lunch today! You know, in hona of you're good friend."

"What?" Kenny exclaimed in surprise, and for a moment his previous mean self showed through again. "That's crazy!"

Rocksteady frowned and cracked his knuckles. "Nah, what's crazy is you not paying back a good friend who's been so generous to ya all dis time." he crossed his arms and glared. "We don't take kindly ta that kinda attitude, if ya know what I mean."

The look of fear returned to Kenny's face. He quickly dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill. "Here, take it!" he said, shoving the money towards the mutants fearfully.

Bebop took the twenty and then smiled menacingly. "Come on kid, look at us!" He said, gesturing at himself and Rocksteady. "It's gonna take more dan dat to buy enough to fill us up."

"Yeah!" Rocksteady added, nodding. "Da two of us could easily eat at least three pizzas each. Twenty ain't gonna be nearly enough."

"And tink of how many times Tyler has helped you. Don't be stingy kid." Bebop said with irritation.

The look of fear in Kenny's eyes grew and he dug back into his pocket. A second later he pulled out an old beat up leather wallet and threw it at Bebop. "Here, this is all I have, take it! Just don't hurt us!" he pleaded pitifully.

Bebop caught the wallet and grinned. "Hey, tanks kid!"

"Now, I want to see you punks beat feet!" Rocksteady growled angrily, taking a step towards the group. Kenny and his posse yelped in panic and ran, scattering across the restaurant in several different directions as they weaved around tables and patrons, heading for the exit. Rocksteady turned and cupped his hand near his snout. "And if we evah catch you botherin Tyler again you're gonna wish you'd nevah been born!" he shouted after them. Every patron and server in the restaurant now had their eyes glued to the commotion, and as the bully and his friends exited the restaurant, Rocksteady and Bebop heard a smattering of applause and even a few cheers from the crowd around them. Rocksteady slowly broke out into a grin as a warm feeling spread through his chest. For some reason the acknowledgement of the people around him made him feel great. They'd actually done something right this time!

The four Turtles continued to stare at the scene before them with mouths hanging open in shock. "Did...we just see what I think we saw?" asked Raphael, turning his confused gaze to his friends.

"I think so Raphael." Replied Leonardo, shaking his head. "But I can hardly believe it."

Michelangelo slowly let a smile creep onto his face. "I guess they really do care about the little dude."

"Well, they still stole from that one kid." Donatello added, trying to inject a little reality into the situation. "They're still their criminal selves, even now."

Back with the trio, Tyler smiled widely at his two mutant companions. "Thanks guys. That was amazing! Kenny and his gang have been after me forever, and..." His smile became somewhat sad and he sighed briefly , looking down. "...and that was the first time anyone I've known has stood up and helped me. No one else at school has..." He raised his head and looked Bebop and Rocksteady in the eye. "Really...thanks."

Rocksteady smiled with embarrassment and scratched his head. He wasn't used to receiving genuine gratitude from anyone outside of Bebop, especially with the thankless job of being Shredder and Krang's henchman. "Uh...any time, Tyler." he responded.

Bebop snorted and bumped his fists together, still looking a bit steamed. "Kids like dat really tick me off. I can't stand school bullies. Any time you want us to pound em for ya, I'm dere."

Tyler smiled and shook his head. "I don't think you need to go that far. But I've never seen Kenny that scared before. You guys really got him going. I bet he won't bother me again for a long time." Just then Rocksteady's stomach growled audibly and the mutant grinned sheepishly. Tyler laughed and motioned back to their booth. "Come on, we still need to actually order our food." he said, walking back towards the booth. The two mutants nodded and followed.

The four turtles all took a step back as the trio approached, all of them looking confused and at a loss for words. Tyler gave the Turtles one odd look and then shook his head and motioned for his mutants to join him at the empty booth two spaces over from the Turtles' own. "Come on guys, we'll have more privacy over here." he said pointedly, sitting down on the side facing towards the turtles. The two mutants grinned at each other and then nodded, before Rocksteady turned and stuck his tongue out at the Turtles childishly, pulling one eyelid down with left hand in a mocking gesture. The two mutants then turned around sat down in the seat opposite Tyler, facing away from the four shelled heroes. After a moment of staring, the turtles slowly sat themselves back in their booth, looking somewhat defeated.

At the other booth, Rocksteady and Bebop settled themselves into the seat while Tyler glanced over the menu one more time. "I think I'll change my order to a barbeque pizza, I'm more in the mood for that." he said, before looking up at his two companions, concern playing across his face. "You guys aren't really going to order multiple pizzas each, are you? I don't really have that much money on me right now."

Rocksteady looked at Tyler, feeling puzzled. "What're ya talkin bout? We got plenty of cash now." he said, looking over at the wallet in Bebop's hand.

"Yeah, dere's gotta be at least 50 bucks in here, plus da twenty he gave us too." Bebop said, thumbing through the wallet's content. "We can order whateva we want."

Tyler smiled patiently and shook his head. "I am grateful for what you guys just did for me really. but..." he said, reaching across the table and taking the wallet from Bebop. "I should give this back to Kenny on Monday."

Rocksteady and Bebop were both caught by surprise. "What!? But dat kid's a bully! He picked on ya and stole your money all the time right?" Rocksteady asked, a confused and disappointed look playing across his face. "Why would ya wanna give it back when you just got even?"

"Yeah! Don't ya want payback?" asked Bebop, looking equally confused

Tyler shook his head and gave the mutants a bit of a stern look. "Yes, Kenny's a bully and of course I want him to stop picking on me and stealing my lunch money and stuff, but that doesn't mean it's ok for me to do bad stuff back to him."

Rocksteady frowned and shook his head. "Of course it does! Dat's how it works. He hurts you, you hurt him back! You got ta get even, or he'll nevah leave ya alone."

"Yeah, Tyler, don't be so soft." Bebop added condescendingly. "Maybe dat's why people pick on ya. You needta show dose kids whose boss, or dey'll just walk all over ya."

Tyler shook his head back and replied. "It's still not ok to steal. And if I sink to his level, then that will make me a bully too." The boy shrugged and smiled. "But if I give him back the wallet and money, maybe he'll start to see me as someone who could be a friend instead of an enemy." The boy wrinkled his nose and frowned. "And some of that cash is probably other people's lunch money too, and I wouldn't feel right spending it."

Bebop snorted angrily and crossed his arm. "Dat kid don't deserve any friends or to get his stuff back. He deserves a poundin."

"Yeah! How could ya even want to try bein friends with someone like him?" Rocksteady asked skeptically.

Tyler smiled slyly and looked at the Mutants. "I don't know. Couldn't you say the same thing about us?" he asked.

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other and then at the kid. Rocksteady just looked confused, but Bebop seemed to be a bit annoyed with the comparison. "What do you mean?" Rocksteady asked.

"You guys stole from me too, remember?" Tyler asked, giving them a look.

Rocksteady blushed a little and suddenly looked embarrassed. "Oh yeah...right." he said.

Bebop frowned and gritted his teeth. "Dat's different...don't compare us to a kid like dat." he growled grumpily.

Tyler frowned back. "How is it different?" he asked.

"Well..." Bebop began, and then stopped himself and thought for a moment. After a few seconds he growled and grabbed his head in frustration. "I don't know! It just is! Don't put me in da same category as dat joik!" he exclaimed in frustration.

"Alright, I'm sorry." Tyler said quickly, taken aback slightly. He looked at Bebop with scrutiny. There was definitely something bothering him more than just the surface level issue. Like how Rocksteady had reacted when he'd been called a "mook". Tyler made a mental note of the incident, and then tried to steer the conversation somewhere else. "My point was simply that after you guys stole from me I didn't try to get "payback" or revenge or anything, even though I could have. We worked it all out instead, and now we're real friends, right?" Tyler shrugged and smiled. "So maybe the same thing could happen with Kenny. Who knows. That's all I really meant."

Rocksteady scratched his ear, still feeling a bit confused. "I guess dat kinda makes sense..." he said.

Bebop still looked a little annoyed, but a small smile cracked in the corner of his mouth. "Kid, I doubt you coulda gotten payback against us." he said, cheering up a little.

Tyler smiled. "Of course I could have." He pointed over their shoulders. "I would have just asked them to teach you a lesson for me." he explained.

The mutants looked over their shoulders at the turtles in the other booth. Rocksteady nodded and smiled. "Yeah, dat woulda probably done it." he said.

"Yeah I guess." Bebop added as the two of them turned back towards Tyler.

Suddenly Rocksteady's face lit up and he smiled. "Ooh, ooh, I know how it was different!" he exclaimed, looking proud. "We didn't know you when we stole da comic. If we had we probably wouldn'ta. But dat kid picks on ya even dough he does know ya. Dat's how it's different!"

Bebop scowled at his companion. "Just let it go, Rocksteady." he grumbled.

Rocksteady was a bit hurt at his friend's rebuff, but caught Tyler nodding along out of the corner of his eyes. Looking at his friend's irritated expression and thinking back on the past few minutes, it suddenly clicked in his mind. _"oh..."._ He sighed and looked down at the table. "Alright. Sorry." He replied quietly, feeling a bit mad at himself. Of course Bebop didn't want to talk about it. Rocksteady had forgotten, and he kicked himself mentally for not being sensitive enough about the issue, like how Bebop sometimes was towards him.

Bebop glanced at Rocksteady and noticed his downcast expression. He shook his head and a grin broke out on his face. He playfully jabbed Rocksteady in the ribs with his elbow. "Ow!" Rocksteady exclaimed, looking over at him. Bebop put his hand on his friend's shoulder and smiled. Rocksteady saw his friend's face and a smile broke out on his own. He playfully shoved Bebop back and the two of them laughed, everything forgiven. In the moment Rocksteady felt a great warmth in his chest. Seemed like no matter what happened, he could never manage to be as good a friend to Bebop as Bebop was to him. Bebop was always encouraging him, staying positive even in the face of their failures, always knew the right thing to say when his friend was down to help cheer him up. Even when Rocksteady had just been insensitive towards him, Bebop still wouldn't let him stay in the dumps. Rocksteady smiled to himself as he patted Bebop on his shoulder, amazed that he could have such a good friend.

Tyler smiled at the two mutants. "Well, now that you two have worked out...whatever that was, are we finally going to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's order. I'm starvin!" Rocksteady exclaimed.

"Yeah. And if we can't order multiple pizzas, let's at least get the big bread stick basket!" Bebop said.

Tyler laughed. "Alright, alright."

"And Italian sodas!" Rocksteady added.

"Ok ok, I got it." Tyler replied. He raised his hand to signal one of the servers to finally come over to take their order.

* * *

The sun was slowly dipping low on the horizon as the group of seven individuals, six mutants and one human boy, made their way slowly down the sidewalk back towards Tyler's apartment building. Tyler walked at the head of the group, with Bebop and Rocksteady a few steps behind him, chatting amicably with the boy about the day they'd just shared. The four turtles brought up the rear, hanging back a few feet behind the trio, silently observing. The air surrounding the group was no longer openly hostile, as Tyler and his two friends had finally accepted the Turtles presence and learned to just ignore it, and the Turtles themselves were no longer acting confrontational. Their earlier combativeness had been replaced by surprise and a genuine curiosity at having seen a previously unknown side to their old foes.

The motley group turned another corner and began heading towards the front of Tyler's building. To their right, across the street, was the entrance to a park, and the sound of laughing children and squeaking playground equipment drifted towards them on the air. Tyler suddenly stopped and turned towards the park entrance, spotting a man with a white ice cream cart parked just inside, selling the last of his daily inventory before packing up to return home. A smile broke out on Tyler's face and he turned to his two mutant companions. "Hey, you guys want some ice cream bars? Or are you too full?" he asked.

Bebop smiled and rubbed his belly. "Dere's always room foir dessert." he stated, and Rocksteady nodded in agreement.

Tyler pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and began counting. "What flavors do you want?" he asked, not looking up from the money.

"Strawberry, if dey have it." Rocksteady answered, licking his lips. "Or else just vanilla."

"Definitely chocolate for me." Bebop added.

Tyler nodded and then looked around the mutants to the Turtles' grouped behind them. He gave them a bit of an apprehensive, mistrustful look and then sighed and spoke. "If you give me some money, I'll get some for you four too." he offered.

The turtles all looked surprised at the offer, especially after the way Tyler had reacted to them before. Finally Leonardo shook his head and spoke for the group. "That's ok Tyler. We're good." The other three nodded in agreement.

"Ok." Tyler responded, and then turned back to his friends. "See ya in a minute. Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." he quipped, winking at the mutants as he turned and headed across the street to the park.

"Haha, very funny." Raphael commented sarcastically to himself, eyeing Bebop and Rocksteady.

The six mutants stood watching each other in awkward silence. The animosity of a few hours ago had faded away, but neither group had any idea what to say to each other now or how to act in this unique and strange situation. After a moment Leonardo nodded slowly to himself, psyching up his courage as best he could. He was the leader and it was his job to take point. He slowly stepped forward and Bebop and Rocksteady shifted their gazes nervously towards him. "Um…I just wanted to say..." he began slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I wanted to say...you guys really surprised us back there." he finished, his voice carrying a soft apologetic tone.

Rocksteady and Bebop certainly hadn't expected that comment. "Huh?" they both asked at the same time.

Raphael smiled and stepped forward as well. "What you did for Tyler at the restaurant; it was pretty cool of you." he said genuinely.

"Pretty cool?" Michelangelo chimed in, grinning. "It was great! You two sent those bozos packing in no time flat!"

Donatello frowned slightly. "Even if you did steal from that other kid." he commented cynically.

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other in surprise, and then back at the turtles. A hesitant grin appeared on Rocksteady's face. "Um…tanks!" the mutant rhino replied back.

Bebop nodded, looking more solemn. "Yeah, dere was no way we was gonna let joiks like that mess with Tyler." He stated, still feeling the last remnants of the anger that had hit him earlier.

"Looks like you two really do like him." Raphael replied.

"Told ya" Michelangelo added to the others, grinning, prompting a punch on the arm from Raphael.

"Yeah. Speaking of which…" Leonardo began, looking like he was struggling to say something very difficult. "I…I'm sorry I didn't believe you earlier."

Now it was Rocksteady and Bebop's turn to look flabbergasted. "…Really?" Rocksteady asked, in stark surprise, his yellow eyes widening.

"Yeah, really." Leonardo replied, nodding. Behind him Michelangelo and Raphael nodded as well, though Donatello just frowned. Shredder's mutants grinned back at them, but then Leonardo's face became more serious again. "But you know you can't really blame us for being suspicious. Not after everything that's happened.

Bebop's expression became serious again, but Rocksteady just looked genuinely confused. "Wat do ya mean?" he asked.

Donatello rolled his eyes. "Did you forget? You're the bad guys. You work for Shredder."

"Yeah, plus, we've never really seen you do anything nice like that before." Michelangelo explained.

Rocksteady's frowned and his eyes narrowed at the Turtles. Now he got it. "I told ya before. You guys don't know us." He said bitterly.

"You're right, we don't know you." Leonardo replied, looking the mutants in the eye. "Guess we should have expected there would be more to you than just one side. But it's not like you've ever shown us anything else."

Bebop snorted derisively. "Yous our enemies. We aint gonna get all chummy wit ya, or tell ya all our dark secrets, ya know?"

Leonardo looked at them with curiosity. "Do you two have dark secrets?" he asked hesitantly.

Rocksteady glared at him. "None of your darn business." He replied with irritation.

"Guess that's your answer." Raphael said as he smiled and shook his head. "Can't really complain about us not knowing the real you if you aren't willing to let us see." He added.

"You looked pretty mad at the restaurant, Bebop." Michelangelo began. "Did that scene bring back bad memories for you?

Rocksteady turned his gaze towards the orange turtle, looking angry. "Hey, lay off him!" he stated, and Michelangelo took a step back.

Bebop gritted his teeth angrily and crossed his arms, turning to the side and looking across the street, avoiding the gaze of the turtes. "I…I just can't stand bullies alright!?" he said. Donatello let out a derisive "hhmph" and everyone else turned towards him. "You gotta problem wit dat?" Bebop asked angrily.

"What's gotten into you Donatello?" Leonardo asked, looking at his companion with concern. "Yeah, you're starting to turn into me." Raphael stated.

Donatello shot Raphael an angry look and then turned towards Shredder's mutants. "I just think it's funny to hear you two of all people talking about hating bullies." he stated angrily.

Bebop turned his gaze on the purple turtle and gritted his teeth. "You sayin we're bullies?" he asked with menace.

Donatello stared back into the blank reflection of Bebop's shades, not flinching. "I'm saying your worse." He stated. Bebop and Rocksteady both grimaced with anger, balling their hands up into fists, but Donatello kept going. "You're not a couple of petty kids picking on people smaller than you and stealing lunch money. You work for Shredder and Krang, the two most dangerous super villains in this dimension! You've both done enough to get yourselves sent to jail a hundred times over." He crossed his arms and glared at them. "You have no right to act like you're better than a couple of playground jerks, whatever personal grudge you might have."

Rocksteady and Bebop both looked steamed, and it appeared like the fight that had been put off for so long might actually occur. But then Leonardo stepped between Donatello and the two mutant goons, holding his hands up. "Now fellas, we've been able to avoid fighting up till now. Let's just try to stay calm." he said gently, trying to diffuse the brewing conflict. "Tyler wouldn't want you doing this right now" he reminded them.

Bebop and Rocksteady stopped short and looked across the street, where Tyler was still in line to get their ice cream. The two mutants nodded and lowered their fists, but they both still looked pretty steamed. "Just tell you're braniac friend he can't keep talkin 'bout us like dat." Bebop said.

Donatello opened his mouth to retort but Leonardo turned around and fixed him with a stern look. "I know how you feel Donatello, but let's try not to get into a pointless fight here, where Tyler and other people might get hurt." he said solemnly.

Donatello looked unhappy at being chastised by Leonardo, but after a moment he dropped his eyes and nodded. "Alright, alright. I understand." he said, defeated. Leonardo smiled and patted him on the shoulder, stepping back towards the group. Donatello raised his gaze, looking serious and stepped forward again. "But let me ask you two just one question." he said.

The other three turtles watched Donatello with apprehension, readying themselves to step in. Rocksteady and Bebop eyed Donatello with annoyance. "What?" Rocksteady asked with a snort.

"If you really care about Tyler that much, does that mean you're going to quit working for Shredder?" Donatello asked.

The two mutants looked at the turtle like he was crazy. "Of coirse not!" Bebop exclaimed. "Why would we do dat?" he asked.

"Yeah, what's Tyler got ta do wit our job?" Rocksteady asked, scratching his head.

Donatello sighed. "You've said you care about Tyler, and based on your behavior today, I have to admit that you seem to be telling the truth." Donatello began, looking at the two mutants with pleading eyes. "But think about it. Don't you realize? Tyler is a kid just like any other person living in this city, and just like any other person he's in danger from the evil plans of Shredder. Plans you help carry out!" he explained.

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at each other, and then back at the turtle, skepticism playing across their features. "What are ya talkin about, shell-back?" Bebop asked.

Donatello shook his head in annoyance. "Are you two really that dense? What do you think might happen to Tyler the next time Shredder tries blowing up the city with a bomb, or sending it to Dimension X, or turning off the gravity so everyone floats into the sky? Don't you think Tyler could get hurt, or worse?" He asked, looking at them with a mixture of annoyance and sadness in his eyes. "Just think about it for a minute guys. If you really care about Tyler, then you should see how your so called "job" only puts him in danger."

Rocksteady's angry expression changed, as he actually began to consider what the smart turtle was saying to them. Was it true? Shredder had already almost ordered them to hurt the boy back when they first met. What if they really did put him in danger again? But... The mutant Rhino shook his head, feeling confused. "But we can't quit." he stated vehemently.

"Why not?" asked Michelangelo.

"Because..." Rocksteady began, but found he couldn't continue. The thought of quitting their jobs filled him with a very acute sense of dread. It wasn't just that the two of them enjoyed being thugs for the Shredder, they certainly did, but the fact that if they did quit they would be back to having nothing. Even after all these years the only things they truly owned were some clothes and a relatively meager collection of comics and video games. The Technodrome was their only home; there was nowhere else they could possibly go, nothing else they could do except serve the Boss. "Because...we just can't alright!?" Rocksteady snapped back, suddenly angry.

Bebop looked at his friend compassionately and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We don't got anything else." He explained to the Turtles.

Leonardo looked at the two mutants with scrutiny, trying to gauge their motives. After a moment he smiled compassionately. "That's not true. You obviously have each other. And Tyler's your friend now too." He nodded to himself and decided to say it. "And if you really wanted to quit, you'd have our help as well." he stated.

Rocksteady's eyes widened again in surprise. He felt something unexpected twinge at the back of his mind. "Really...?" he asked, looking at the turtles with skepticism.

"Yeah!" Leonardo replied, and the other three nodded, even Donatello. "If you really quit the Shredder, we'd have no reason to fight anymore, and we would be free to help if you needed it." The turtle stated.

Bebop smiled haughtily and clapped Rocksteady on the shoulder, laughing a little. "Tanks for the offer, dweebs, but we don't really need it. We're perfectly fine wit da way tings are now."

Rocksteady looked at his friend and felt his resolve returning. He nodded his head and turned his gaze back at the turtles. "Dat's right!" he echoed in agreement.

Michelangelo sighed, looking a bit depressed. "So I guess this truce thing we've got going now isn't going to last?" he asked.

Bebop smiled meanly. "Ya got dat right, Shell-head." he said with confidence. "Da next time we see yous wimps on da battlefield you're gonna be toitle soup."

"So you better watch you're backs!" Rocksteady added with enthusiasm.

Raphael sighed and shook his head. "Should have known it would be too good to be true." He said in disappointment.

Out of the corner of his eye Leonardo saw Tyler across the street, waiting for traffic to disperse so he could head back to rejoin them. Their time for conversation was almost up. Leonardo looked at the two mutants with disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry to hear that." he stated sadly. "For a long time we all just assumed you two were bad to the bone; totally undeniably rotten. But we all saw something today that made me think maybe there's another side to you. Maybe you're more than just a couple of thugs." He looked them both in the eye, trying to convey his genuine sincerity and concern. "I hope that you guys will realize it yourselves someday." he finished.

Bebop frowned and shook his head in disgust. "Don't get all sappy on us, Toitle. It aint gonna save ya da next time we meet."

Rocksteady nodded along with his friend's comment, but at that moment he couldn't help but feel something unexpected stir in his spirit, deep down, at hearing what the blue turtle had said. Not just thugs, huh? Maybe...just maybe...? The mutant shook his head quickly and smiled the best he could, trying to shake off the strange and unfamiliar feeling. "Yeah. Even if we are friends with Tyler, we're still bad to the bone!" Rocksteady said, trying to mean it.

"I don't think you are. Not anymore." Leonardo responded, smiling with resignation. "But if you don't agree, then I guess there's nothing else to say."

"Got dat right." Bebop responded with a snort, and Rocksteady nodded.

"Hey, you guys have a nice chat while I was away?" Tyler asked as he reached their side of the street. "I didn't miss anything interesting did I?" he continued, as he handed Bebop and Rocksteady their ice cream bars.

"Nope, not much. Just shooting the breeze, killing time. All that jazz." Raphael replied.

Leonardo smiled and then bowed formerly towards Tyler. "It's been pretty interesting today, but we've got to get going. Our master will be expecting us back." The turtle straightened up and fixed Tyler with a warm look. "It was nice seeing you again Tyler. Take care." he said.

"Yeah, ok." Tyler responded, a bit surprised at the friendly goodbye after the day they'd all just had.

"See ya later micro-dude! Say hi to Zack for us!" Michelangelo responded with enthusiasm.

Donatello nodded, looking a little annoyed. "Tell him I need to recalibrate his turtle-com. We've been having trouble reaching him lately."

"Nerds and their toys." Raphael stated snarkily, earning himself a glare from his companion. He smiled at the boy and saluted. "See ya later kid." he said.

Leonardo turned his gaze to Shredder's two mutants, who both stood licking their ice creams while they watched the farewells with only half-interest. "We'll see you guys around too, I guess." he said to them, looking a bit disappointed and resigned. "I...I hope we can meet under more peaceful circumstances again in the future." he finally stated.

Bebop snorted dismissively and turned up his nose but Rocksteady honestly didn't know how to respond at first. Even if they were all enemies this day had been fun in the end, and the turtles had ended up being kind of ok after all. Even if they had to fight, did that mean they had to hate each other? Rocksteady looked up at the turtles, his confusion and inner turmoil showing on his face. "Um...yeah. See ya around..whenever..." he said.

Bebop caught the tone in Rocksteady's statement and looked over at his friend with curiosity and confusion, but Leonardo just smiled warmly. What he heard then in Rocksteady's voice reinforced the hope that had begun to grow in him since that afternoon, when he'd seen two hardened criminals unexpectedly stand up for someone smaller and weaker than themselves. The turtle nodded towards the two mutants and then turned to head back down the side walk the way they'd come, motioning for his three companions to join him. After a moment he turned and gave a final wave to Tyler and the Shredder's goons before he and the other Turtles disappeared around the corner.

As soon as the Turtles were gone Bebop turned and smacked Rocksteady on the shoulder. "Wat was dat all about?" he asked, giving his friend a weird look. "You gettin soft on me or somethin?"

"Ow!" Rocksteady exclaimed, rubbing his stinging shoulder and looking back at Bebop with irritation. "Quit it! No I aint getting soft! It's just..." the mutant shrugged and a smile crept onto his face. "Dis day was kinda fun in da end, even if dose guys did follow us around. And...maybe dey aint so bad when we're not fightin em."

Bebop rolled his eyes and snorted dismissively. "Next ting you know, you're gonna be saying you want to hang out wit dose dweebs more too." He turned and looked back down the street where the turtles had disappeared. He glanced to the side at Tyler and smiled. "Dere' just geeks. dey aint cool like Tyler. Dey probably just spend all dere time talkin about being goody goodies, and practicin dat kung-fu junk. Hangin wit dem would be a real bore I bet." Bebop shrugged his shoulders and grinned back at Rocksteady. " 'Sides, da boss would kill us if he found out."

"I think Michelangelo probably likes comics and video games and stuff like us." Tyler added, smiling from Bebop's earlier comment.

The two mutants looked at Tyler with puzzled expressions. "Um...which one's dat?" Rocksteady asked.

Tyler rolled his eyes good naturedly. "The orange one." he explained.

"Oh yeah. Da soifer Toitle." Bebop replied.

Tyler and the two mutants stood together for a few more moments, none of them really sure of what they should say or do now. It had been a very weird day. Tyler turned towards his companions and then noticed something. "Um guys, your ice cream is melting." he said.

Rocksteady looked down at his barely nibbled strawberry bar and saw the ice cream beginning to drip down onto his hands. He opened his mouth and finished the frozen treat off with two large chomps, completing his task by licking his hands clean of the sticky liquid. It tasted very refreshing, and Rocksteady soon forget his confusion and uncertainty from only a few moments ago. Next to him Bebop did the same with his bar, somehow managing to smear the chocolate on his fangs and nose ring as he shoved the rest of the bar into his mouth.

Tyler laughed and handed a wad of napkins to both of them. "Here, you guys are getting pretty messy." he said as he began to unwrap his own ice cream bar. He discarded the wrapper in a nearby trash bin and began to lick the ice cream bar, his favorite flavor, cookies and cream. He looked at his two companions as he worked on the ice cream bar, before finally asking his question. "So...unless you guys have to get back to the techno-whatever-it-is soon, or have some mission you need to be doing...want to come to my apartment and hang out a while longer?" he asked.


	7. Chapter 6: Another First Encounter

\- 6 -

Another First Encounter

Tyler unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped in, followed by his two mutant friends. Bebop and Rocksteady looked around the entrance hall feeling a bit awkward. It was the first time they'd been invited into someone's home, instead of just breaking in like normal. "So..." Bebop began, looking down the hall. "What now?'

Tyler opened the hall closet and tossed his backpack and coat onto the heap on the floor. "My sister won't be home for a little while longer, so we can do whatever we want till then." He closed the closet and looked back at them. "I could give you guys a tour if you want." he said.

"Ok sounds cool." Bebop said, and then suddenly did a double take. "Wait. you have a sistah?" he asked.

"Yeah." Tyler replied, smiling sheepishly. "I guess I forgot to tell you. Her name's Angie. She's a lot older than me, an adult. Has a job and everything; after our parents died she had to sort of take charge." He shrugged his shoulders. "She's cool, for a sister."

The two mutants looked a bit worried and nervous. "Uh...are you sure she's gonna be ok wit us bein here?" Rocksteady asked.

"Yeah, I told her you might be coming over today. She said it was fine."

"Did ya tell her we're mutants?" asked Bebop.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. I wouldn't want her freaking out." Suddenly the boy's eyes lit up as he remembered. "Oh yeah, you should know, I told her that you're both bouncers at a nightclub downtown."

Rocksteady's eyes grew wide. "You WHAT!?" he exclaimed, feeling a bit angry.

Tyler backed off, looking a bit surprised. "Whoa, chill dude, it's ok. I couldn't tell her your super villains now could I? If I did she wouldn't let us hang out." he said.

"There's no way dat's gonna woik." Bebop responded. "She'll recognize us for sure."

"Yeah, and we don't know nuttin about being bouncers. What are we gonna say?" asked Rocksteady with worry.

Tyler smiled smugly, like a street hustler luring in a mark. "No problem. She definitely won't recognize you, I guarantee it. My sister doesn't watch the news much at all, or read the paper. She's always way too busy with work and real life; she leaves all that current events stuff to me. And she doesn't know much about the Turtles and all that, except what I've told her, so I know she hasn't heard of you two before." The boy reached out and patted Rocksteady on the arm reassuringly. "Don't worry. And as for your cover story, all you've got to say is that you're the security for the bar and you break up fights and keep the riff-raff out of the club and such. You've seen bouncers in movies and shows before right? Just talk about stuff like that."

"I don't know..." Bebop said reluctantly. "We aint really dat good at actin."

Tyler shook his head in frustration. "You'll be fine, trust me. She doesn't even know you so how would she tell if you're acting? And it's the only way we can make sure she'll let us keep hanging out. Come on, play along alright?" he pleaded.

Bebop and Rocksteady looked at each other for a minute, trying to decide what to do. Tyler held his breath until Bebop finally sighed and nodded, giving in. "Alright Tyler. We'll play along."

Rocksteady nodded and smiled again. "So we're bouncers? I guess dat's kinda cool."

"Yeah, real tough and macho!" Bebop said.

"And you two definitely have the bodies for it. Anyone would believe it if you told them." He turned back down towards the hallway. "And now that we've got that business out of the way, let me show you around." he said, motioning them down the hall.

The two mutants nodded and followed Tyler down the short corridor into the rest of the residence. It wasn't that big an apartment and the tour only took a couple of minutes. Tyler showed them the living room, with their modest sized TV, and the adjoining kitchen, were he offered the two mutants sodas from the fridge. Rocksteady chugged his soda in only a few moments, much to Tyler's amusement, while Bebop sipped his more slowly. They had already seen Tyler's room, and the boy quickly showed them the junk room, which had once been his parents' bedroom, and skipped past Angie's room, for obvious reasons. But it was the final room on the tour that finally caught the mutants' full attentions.

Tyler opened the door and stepped back, allowing his two guests an unobstructed view of the room within. The space before them was a fully furnished exercise room. Racks of dumbbell and barbell weights lined one side of the room next to a low rack lined with clean folded towels. Jump ropes and large rubber bands hung from a hook in the corner, near a large suspended punching bag. A stationary bike and an elliptical machine were in another corner, and in the center of the room was a bench press, a barbell fitted with two large weights set across the stands over the bench.

Rocksteady's eyes popped wide with surprise and delight, and almost seemed to sparkle a bit. "Woooow! Dis is really neat!" he exclaimed, sounding like a kid on Christmas day.

"Really sweet setup you got here, Tyler." Bebop added in admiration, glancing around the room.

Tyler shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it is. It's not really mine though." He stepped into the room, looking around with a thoughtful nostalgic look on his face. He smiled gently as he continued. "It was my dad's. He was a big health nut, and he set this whole room up over the course of a few years. After he died, Angie and I decided to just leave it the way it was. Because of the memories and everything."

Rocksteady and Bebop looked at the kid with concern. After a moment, Bebop put his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "So...how did yur parents die? If you don't mind me askin." he said.

"Plane crash." Tyler said simply. "They were on vacation, had to charter a private plane for where they were going. The weather got bad, and the pilot ended up crashing. That's it."

Rocksteady's face fell in sympathy. "Dat sucks. I'm sorry Tyler." He said truthfully, looking away awkwardly.

"Yeah, it really does." Tyler responded, nodding. "Sometimes I still cry about it, when I'm really missing them. Angie does too, but she doesn't like to admit it."

Rocksteady felt a pang in his heart and looked away, thinking of his own past. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Bebop and wondered if he was dwelling on the same thing too. Thinking of the things they had both lost and could never get back. The mutant warthog stood still, watching Tyler, his eyes unreadable behind his purple shades, the rest of his face giving away little.

Tyler shook his head and wiped the edge of his eyes. He took one more glance around the room and then turned back to his companions, smiling. "So now that you've had the tour, want to play some video games or watch a movie or something?" he asked.

"Yeah, dat sounds cool." Bebop replied.

Rocksteady started to nod himself, when a thought occurred to him. "Ooh, ooh!" he exclaimed excitedly, and then stopped, blushing with embarrassment as Tyler and Bebop both looked at him weird. "Um...would you mind if maybe I lifted some weights in here for a while?" He raised his hands in a cautionary gesture. "I mean, only if you're ok with it. I promise I won't break anyting, I'll be really careful."

Tyler thought about it for a second, and then smiled. "Ok, sure. No one else ever goes in there; my Dad would probably be happy to know its being used again." The smile dropped off his face and he gave the mutant a stern look. "Just be sure to put everything back when you're done." he said.

Rocksteady grinned excitedly. "Ok, cool. Tanks! Yeah, I promise I'll put everyting back." He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "I used ta lift weights back in high school. It was one of da only tings I ever enjoyed back den. Haven't had the chance to do it in ages."

Bebop smirked mischievously. "You definitely need it, buddy. You've really let yoirself go since you became a rhino." he said, poking Rocksteady in his gut with his index finger.

"Haha, very funny hog-breath." Rocksteady shot back jokingly, mock punching Bebop on the arm. Bebop stuck his tongue out childishly and backed up out of range of his friend's reach. Rocksteady stuck his tongue out right back and then stopped and looked down at himself. He smiled with embarrassment and pinched the paunch above his waist between his hands. "But yeah, I probably could lose some weight." he admitted.

Tyler laughed and nodded. "Well then, I guess you better get to exercising. Knock yourself out." he said.

Rocksteady nodded. "Ok. See ya guys later." he said as he turned and entered the weight room.

* * *

Rocksteady walked across the space and examined the barbell suspended above the bench press. The weights currently attached would be moderately heavy for a normal human, but a piece of cake for someone like Rocksteady to lift. He quickly removed the two weights from the ends of the bar and replaced them with the two largest weights from the rack by the wall. Satisfied with his choice, Rocksteady walked over to a small green striped chair positioned against the wall. He stripped off his bandolier, machete, hidden blaster holster, and finally his boots and brown pants, and laid all the items on top of the chair cushion, leaving himself standing in just his yellow T-shirt and blue and white striped boxer shorts. He reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a purple paisley patterned bandanna. Folding the bandanna into a triangle, he tied it across his brow and over his head, leaving his ears sticking up between the folds. He turned around and picked up a towel from the rack next to the chair. Slinging the towel around his neck, Rocksteady plodded across the room and laid down on the bench press, placing his two large hands on the bar bell. The metal felt very cold against his palms and Rocksteady breathed in and out deeply, preparing himself for the weight. And then he lifted.

A regular human would have really struggled to lift the weights, but for Rocksteady's enhanced mutant strength it was only moderately difficult. He soon fell into a steady rhythm as he lifted and lowered the barbell, feeling the muscles in his arms and shoulders begin to strain and burn with the exercise. After about 5 minutes he felt sweat beginning to drip down his arms and neck, and the bandanna on his head dampen, and he increased his pace, pushing himself a little bit further.

This day had certainly been full of many firsts for the mutant; first time hanging out with someone other than Bebop, first time in an arcade in years, first time getting along with the turtles, and now he was lifting weights again just like in high school. The sensation of the weight and the rhythm of the exercise brought nostalgic memories flooding back to Rocksteady. The smell of his school's gym, the squeak of the equipment as other students worked out, the background noise of the girls' volleyball team playing a mock game; it all came back like it was yesterday. Weight lifting had been one of the few things in school he was good at and really enjoyed; sometimes he'd spend hours after classes in the weight room just working out, watching the girls' practice ( _"certainly an enjoyable experience"_ he thought slyly to himself) or just losing himself in the rhythm, trying to forget everything else as he put off going home as long as possible. Sometimes he stayed there so long that his "escort" had to send someone in to force him to come out to the car, which was always a bonus for Rocksteady; he smiled somewhat meanly to himself as he continued to work. He'd greatly enjoyed giving those bozos grief whenever he could. It'd always ticked him off that they had to be around in the first place. Yet another terrible and painful element of a past that Rocksteady never wanted anything to do with again.

Slowly Rocksteady's mind drifted towards recent events, as he continued to pump iron, the sweat glistening on his arms, his bandana nearly soaked and sticking to his head. He thought about the day he'd just had, how fun it had been to hang out with Tyler and Bebop like normal humans again, the taste of the delicious pizza he'd ordered at Vinnie's, and the ice cream Tyler bought him later. And the Turtles. Rocksteady wrestled with his feelings and doubts as he thought about what the turtles had said to him and Bebop. Were they really telling the truth? Would they really treat the two mutants like friends, just like that, if they ever quit working for the Shredder? But that didn't make any sense! He and Bebop had spent years and years fighting the turtles almost daily, so many times they'd tried to kill those green geeks, and yet the four of them didn't carry a grudge at all? How could that be? Rocksteady's thoughts briefly returned to his and Bebop's first meeting with Tyler and all that had followed after that. Even though the two of them had stolen from him, Tyler hadn't held a grudge either. Rocksteady snorted and frowned. Guess there really were such soft wimpy people in the world after all. How they could get by in life was anyone's guess. Rocksteady knew that "kill or be killed" was what really mattered. Got to take what you can get and not hesitate. Though…even with all that he couldn't really think of Tyler as being a "wimp" and he didn't wish that they weren't friends. Maybe there were just some exceptions, for cool people like Tyler and him and Bebop. He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. It was pointless going around in circles about this with himself. He should just talk to Bebop about it when they got back home. He always seemed to have the more level-headed sensible response to everything. He'd help Rocksteady straighten out all his confusion in no time, he always did.

Rocksteady smiled to himself and began to turn his mind to other, more pleasant thoughts, when suddenly a piercing scream filled the room. Rocksteady's heart leapt into his throat and he lowered his arms too quickly, bringing the barbell down on his chest with a painful crash, knocking the air out of his lungs. He sat up, his ribs throbbing, his eyes wide with shock, and saw a young twenty-something woman standing in the doorway , staring at him with an expression of great shock and fear.

"Wh…what are you doing in my house!" the woman shouted, backing away into the hall. "Where's Tyler!? Tyler!" she called out, stopping suddenly and jumping as her back hit the hallway wall behind her.

The woman was of medium height with light clear skin and shoulder length dark brown hair, the same shade as Tyler's, and her eyes, currently looking at him with terror, were grayish blue. Rocksteady thought she bore more than a passing resemblance to that actress from the horror movies about the guy with the claw hand, who attacked people in their dreams, though he couldn't remember her name. He knew THIS woman's name though, and his heart sank at the realization. It was Tyler's sister Angie, and based on her current reaction, Rocksteady could tell that she definitely had not been expecting to see him in here. _"Dang it Tyler, you said you told her bout us."_ Rocksteady thought to himself as he began to open his mouth, to try and say something reassuring to the scared woman; as if there was anything a six foot tall rhino man could actually say to defuse this situation. Before he could speak he heard the sound of pounding feet approaching from down the hallway and saw Angie turn on her heals and run out of sight. Only a few short seconds later he heard her give out another somewhat quieter yelp of shock (" _Must have just seen Bebop"_ Rocksteady thought) and then he heard Tyler' heated voice speaking quickly.

"Calm down Angie, it's alright. They're my friends, they won't hurt you. I told you about them coming over when we were at breakfast this morning, remember!?" spoke Tyler's voice, carrying down the hallway through the open door.

"Tyler what are you talking about! You didn't say anything about this! What are these crazy Halloween freaks doing here!?" the girl's voice shouted back, still sounding panicked.

"Don't call them freaks!" Tyler responded angrily. "They might look different but they're just normal guys underneath."

Rocksteady sighed in annoyance and heaved the heavy barbell off his chest, setting it down on the floor next to the bench as he got up and headed quickly for the door. This was just what they needed, a scared protective human freaking out on them. He told Tyler and Bebop this was a bad idea, but did they listen? No! No one ever listened! Shaking his head, Rocksteady followed the sound of arguing out into the hallway. Angie was leaning against one wall, looking frazzled as Tyler continued to try and calm her down. Bebop stood a few feet behind Tyler, further down the hall. When he caught sight of Rocksteady the mutant warthog shook his head and shrugged in a "what can you do?" type gesture, smiling slightly. Rocksteady noticed Angie jump as she caught sight of him again, and pulled up a few feet away, not wanting to get any closer and make the situation worse. The girl looked back and forth between the two mutants, appearing a bit like a trapped and scared animal. "You two better get out of our apartment now or I'm calling the cops on you!" she exclaimed, raising her voice, though by the look on her face she didn't appear very confident about getting to the phone.

Tyler glared at her angrily. "Angie stop it!" he shouted, grabbing her arm. "These are my friends, Bebop…" he said, nodding over his shoulder towards the warthog, "and Rocksteady." He finished, gesturing towards the rhino. "I've told you about them before, remember!? The ones I traded comic books with? You were all excited that I finally had some real friends to hang out with, said Mom and Dad would be so happy if they knew." He let go of his sister's arm and took a step back, gesturing towards the mutants. "So…here they are."

The gears in the young woman's head seemed to be turning as the expression on her face slowly changed. She looked back and forth between the two mutants again, her earlier fear starting to be replaced with recognition and confusion. "These…these are the guys you were telling me about?" she asked incredulously.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Yes, I think I've established that."

Angie looked at the mutants with a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "You didn't say they were…" she struggled to find the proper word.

"Different?" Rocksteady volunteered, frowning slightly, as irritation showed through in his voice

Angie jumped a little, as if she hadn't expected the two mutants to be able to speak. "Yeah, I guess." She responded, looking a little wary of the rhino man.

Bebop smiled and raised his hand. "Don't mind him. He can be a little grouchy sometimes." Rocksteady shot Bebop a look and the warthog smiled back.

Tyler rolled his eyes again. "I told you they were mutants too, remember?" he asked with sister with annoyance.

Angie nodded and looked a little embarrassed. "Yeah, but I guess I just didn't really understand what you meant. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't…" she trailed off, looking at the two mutants again warily.

Bebop smiled and walked towards Tyler and Angie. "Dat's alright. Lotsa people get scarred by our looks at foist. We're kinda used to it. But we're totally human inside, don't woiry." He said. He stopped in front of the woman and stuck his hand out, trying to look friendly. "I'm Bebop." Angie still looked weary but after a moment reluctantly extended her hand and shook with Bebop. The mutant grinned as he took his hand back and then looked across the hall at Rocksteady. "And as yoir brudder mentioned, the grumpy lookin guy over dere is my best pal, Rocksteady." He said.

Angie turned and looked at Rocksteady pointedly, before finally sticking her arm out towards him. "Nice to meet you, I guess." She said.

Rocksteady braced himself inwardly as he walked forward and shook her hand, not entirely comfortable with the situation yet. His heart was still racing fast from when she had startled him a few minutes before. Or maybe it was something else…? As he took her hand in a firm but not too tight grip he suddenly became painfully aware of how slick and clammy his skin was. He took his hand back quickly after only a few quick pumps, feeling a bit embarrassed and not really understanding why. "Uh…yeah, hi," he said lamely to her, not really meeting her eyes.

Angie suddenly turned her gaze to Tyler and her eyes filled with a fire and spunk that hadn't been there before. "I can't believe you did this to me Tyler!" She declared. "You are always forgetting stuff like this, and leaving out important details! I was scared to death for a moment there."

Tyler looked at his sister with hurt and confusion, his cheeks starting redden at being scolded in front of his two new friends. "What are you talking about!?" he asked with indignation.

"You know exactly what I am talking about." Angie replied, giving him a sharp look. "You absolutely did NOT tell me that your friends might be coming over."

Tyler stopped and thought for a moment. He was still annoyed at his sister's aggressive scolding, but a bit of uncertainty played over his face. "What? But…I was sure that I told you!"

"Nope. I distinctly remember our entire conversation this morning and the topic of friends or people coming over did not come up once." Angie replied confidently.

Rocksteady and Bebop both starred at Tyler with annoyance. The boy caught his friends' gazes and grinned sheepishly, blushing. "Well…I certainly meant to tell you." He replied to his sister lamely.

"Well, you didn't." she replied with annoyance, and then sighed. "I swear you'd forget your head if it wasn't attached to your neck." She raised her gaze and rolled her eyes, looking at the two mutants as if they could sympathize with her. "You have no idea how annoying it is. You know that one time he forgot to wear his shoes when he left for school?" she asked.

"Angie!" Tyler cried indignantly. "You're embarrassing me! And that was way back in first grade!"

Bebop chuckled to himself as he poked Tyler playfully on the shoulder. "You didn' tell us you were so absent minded, Tyler. Sounds like you've got yur head in the clouds a lot." He said.

"Hey, l'm trying to work on it, really." He replied back with annoyance.

Rocksteady crossed his arms and smiled slightly. "Guess we was luck you even showed up on time ta meet us."

You got that right." Angie replied, cracking a smile.

"Hey! No way would I have been late to meet friends." Tyler declared confidently, crossing his arms.

Angie smiled and then turned to look at Rocksteady. She suddenly blushed slightly, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry for startling you before." She said. "I didn't realize you two were Tyler's friends. Even though he's been going on and on about you both, he was kind of vague about the important details. You can understand how it would be if you walked into your home and found two strange guys inside, especially if they looked…" She trailed off, looking more embarrassed. "Anyway, like I said, sorry for scaring you." She finished.

Rocksteady felt a bit surprised at the apology. "Um…no problem. It's ok. Like Bebop said we kinda get dat a lot." He replied, smiling.

Angie smiled back and then looked him over from head to toe. Her cheeks suddenly flushed a bit and she appeared both puzzled and amused. A look flashed in her eyes and for a moment the family resemblance between her and Tyler was uncanny. "So...not knowing anything about mutants myself, I have to ask. Is it normal for you to go around dressed like that?" she asked, an amused smile spreading on her face.

"Huh..Wazzat?" Rocksteady asked in confusion, and looked down at himself. Realization struck him and he felt his face begin to grow hot. In his haste to follow Angie back into the hallway earlier, he had forgotten to put his pants back on. He was standing there, plain as day, in only his boxers!

At Angie's comment, Tyler and Bebop both took notice of Rocksteady's state of dress for the first time and both burst out laughing, causing Rocksteady's pulse to quicken in embarrassment. "I didn't even notice before with all the commotion but…Dude where are your pants?" Tyler asked with all the tact of a typical twelve year old boy.

Bebop doubled over with laughter. "Aint ya movin a bit fast dere buddy?" he asked, raising his shades with one hand to wipe the tears of laughter from his eyes. "You've only know her for about a minute!"

Angie blushed at Bebop's comment and Rocksteady felt his face flush even hotter than before. "Hey! Quit joking around!" he sputtered desperately, which just caused Bebop and Tyler to laugh harder. He turned to Angie, his face nearly glowing with embarrassment. "Sorry…I'll be right back." He said, before turning on his heels and tromping back down the hall towards the exercise room, with the sound of his so-called friends' laughter still reaching his burning ears.

Rocksteady re-entered the weight room and stomped over to the chair where he'd left his things, feeling his heart race at what seemed like a mile a second. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been that embarrassed in his whole life! As he bent over to pick up his stuff he made a mental note to give Bebop a good hard smack on the snout when they got home for making such an idiotic comment. He felt like he could crawl under a rock and die! _"And all in front of a girl too"_ , Rocksteady noted, feeling himself start to flush all over again. Of all the ways to make an impression on Tyler's sister, he had to end up nearly exposing himself.

" _Well at least things can't get any worse."_ He thought to himself, and then froze. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as he became painfully aware that he was still sticky and covered with sweat from his earlier work out and subsequent excitement, and that he must stink something awful. Being mutated into a bipedal rhinoceros had not done any favors to Rocksteady's natural body odor, and it could only be worse after the exercise he'd just done. _"I bet she must think I'm a total disgusting slob."_ He thought to himself, feeling mortified. For the first time in his life Rocksteady found himself wishing that he actually owned some deodorant. But of course neither he nor Bebop did, not that he would have had it on him anyway. Being two brutish thugs working for a super villain, neither of the mutants really cared that much about personal hygiene; The only bodily maintenance Rocksteady really kept up with was shaving, but only because his face itched something awful if he went too long without doing it. And on top of everything, it had to have been at least a week or more since he'd showered last. Grumbling to himself, Rocksteady looked around the room desperately for anything he might use to muffle the stench of his body, but saw nothing that could help him. Feeling resigned, Rocksteady pulled the towel from around his shoulders and did his best to soak up the sweat; rubbing down his head and snout and the back of his neck, running the towel over his arms and legs and the small of his back and finally wiping down his arm pits. Having done the best he could, Rocksteady tossed the damp towel into the basket by the door and quickly pulled his pants on. He stuffed his bandanna into the back pocket of his pants and then took a moment to reattach the rest of his gear, making sure to tuck his blaster holster underneath his shirt so Angie wouldn't see it. That would be just what they needed, her catching a glimpse of their guns and having another freak-out.

Satisfied that he had all of his belongings, and that he was no longer half naked, Rocksteady headed back towards the door, his heart rate increasing in anticipation. As he reached the doorway, the mutant suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Wha...what the heck is wrong with me!?" Rocksteady asked himself out loud. He raised hands and slapped both palms against his cheeks, hard enough to slightly redden his thick gray skin. "I can't let some human freak me out. She's just a girl. I been around dat April girl tons a times. Dis aint any different!" he said, trying to reassure himself, to get his nerves calmed down. Yeah, that was right. She was just a human like any other. She had more reason to be freaked out by him than he had by her. But despite his little pep talk, a small part of Rocksteady's mind remained unconvinced. Yeah, she was a girl, but she was also Tyler's sister, and it certainly wouldn't be helpful to make a bad impression on her. And in addition...Rocksteady had to admit that she wasn't half bad looking. In fact, "pretty darn good looking" was more the correct description if he was really honest. It was a bit intimidating, and something Rocksteady didn't have that much experience with. Of course April was pretty darn hot too, but except for that one bizarre incident with a love potion that he preferred to completely forget, Rocksteady had never really thought of April in those terms, mostly encountering her "on the job" when he had other things to focus on. But this was different. This was an attractive girl who didn't know about his true criminal nature, whom he and Bebop would have to make like them if they hoped to stay friends with Tyler. It seemed an almost impossible task. But Rocksteady was quickly accepting the surprising fact that he actually -really wanted- to stay Tyler's friend. And if that meant getting along with his sister, then he had no choice but to try.

The mutant slapped his face one more time for emphasis and nodded with determination. "Calm down. Get a grip. You got dis." he said under his breath as he stepped back into the hallway to rejoin the others.

* * *

As he returned to the hallway, Rocksteady saw and heard that the group of three was now talking casually. And Tyler's sister definitely appeared to be in a more relaxed mood now. Rocksteady raised one hand in a small wave as he arrived. "I'm back. Sorry bout da wait. I just ran outta da room so fast earlier I left all my stuff behind, even my pants" He explained, giving a slightly embarrassed grin, showing his teeth.

Tyler cracked a smile again. "No problem, just don't let it happen again." He said, and winked.

Angie scanned him up and down, as if to make sure he really was fully clothed now. She looked at his ammo bandolier and sheathed machete with scrutiny, and Rocksteady swallowed and steeled himself, feeling glad that he had had the foresight to hide the laser pistol after all. "Interesting gear you have there. You guys survivalists or something?" she asked pointedly, glancing back at Bebop, whose of course had his own bandolier and random assortment of grenades and chains attached about his person.

"Um…yeah somethin like dat." Rocksteady responded nervously, looking at his friend for help.

Bebop smiled calmly. "It's really just for show. To make us look tough and intimidatin. Or else we can't do our job right. We don't want anyone tinkin dey can mess wit us." He responded. Rocksteady sighed inwardly and smiled to himself. Bebop could always think on his feet like that.

Angie nodded and turned back towards Rocksteady. "Oh yeah, that's right. Tyler and your friend here were telling me that you guys are bouncers at a club?" she asked.

Rocksteady crossed his fingers on his right hand, out of sight of Angie, and then replied. "Yeah, dat's right." He hesitated for a split second and then remembered the name of a joint he and Bebop had been to a few times when they were human. "Da Wild Shotgun night club. Its downtown, a little bit aways from Times Square." He blurted out, silently praying that Bebop hadn't already given her the name of someplace else.

Bebop grinned and flashed Rocksteady a stealth thumbs-up at his improve. "Yeah, it's a sweet gig. We don't even hardly have to do much. Just seeing us dere is enuff to make most people behave. And we get free drinks and a show most nights."

Angie nodded. "Yeah, I bet a person would have to be pretty drunk to start trouble with two guys like you on duty." She said, and then a thoughtful look came over her face. "Wild Shotgun…isn't that a strip joint?" she asked, and then frowned, looking at her two guests with a suddenly disapproving stare. "You're not going to be getting Tyler involved in any of that stuff, I can tell you right now!" she declared sternly.

Tyler slapped his forehead and looked annoyed. "Angie don't be so paranoid. You think they're going to drag me along to their club at night or something?" he asked.

Rocksteady looked surprised and shook his head vehemently. "'Course we wouldn't do somethin like dat!" he assured Angie.

Bebop nodded in agreement. "We aint dat dumb. We don't want ta lose our jobs ya know?" he said.

"See?" Tyler asked with annoyance.

Angie sighed in annoyance. "That doesn't really make me less worried. How old are you two anyway?" she asked.

Rocksteady felt a bit nervous as he scratched his head and glanced at Bebop. "Um…not really sure anymore, actually. We kinda lost track of dat stuff after we got turned inta mutants"

Tyler looked at the Rhino in surprise. "Really? Like you don't even remember your birthday?"

Rocksteady shook his head. "Nope. Completely forgot." This was a bald face lie. Of course Rocksteady could no sooner forget his own birthday as he could forget his own name, either one of them. But like a lot of personal details, this was something he wasn't ok sharing with anyone besides Bebop. The rhino looked up, waiting to see if his friend would back up the statement.

Bebop nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. Seems like dat stuff just stopped being important after we changed." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think maybe we was nineteen when we mutated, but I don't really remember, and that was a while ago."

"Nineteen?" Angie asked incredulously, looking at the two with sudden suspicion. "So then you're probably around my age. Don't you think it's a little weird for grown men to be hanging out with a twelve year old?"

Tyler rolled his eyes again and sighed. "Come on Angie, don't be such a paranoid stick in the mud. Who cares about age? We have the same interests and we have fun hanging out. That's all that matters."

"Yeah!" Bebop chimed in his agreement. "We don't mind dat Tyler's a kid. He's still cool." The warthog suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "He's kinda da first friend we've had too, besides each other." he said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"Really?" asked Angie, her look softening slightly. Bebop nodded.

Suddenly Rocksteady got his excited "I've got something to contribute" look on his face, and grinned widely. "Yeah! And anyway, even dough we're adults, da boss and udder people always say dat we're immature. So we can totally fit in wit Tyler." he announced proudly.

Angie giggled and Bebop snorted with amusement. Tyler shook his head and patted Rocksteady on the elbow sympathetically. "Dude, you know that when they say that it's not a compliment, right?"

"It aint?" Rocksteady asked, looking genuinely surprised.

Bebop snorted again, this time with annoyance. "'Course it's not, dipstick." he said.

Rocksteady growled and glared at Bebop. "Well how was I 'sposed to know dat hogbreath!?" he shot back.

Bebop crossed his arms, looking haughty. "Anyone wit half a brain would know, horn head."

Rocksteady balled up his fists. "You want me to rip out that nose ring of yours, right here?" he asked angrily.

"Alright boys, that's enough." Angie declared, stepping boldly between the two mutants, holding up her arms. Her tone was stern but she was smiling. "I take it back. You two are a perfect fit with Tyler."

"Hey!" Tyler exclaimed in annoyance. "I'm not that bad."

"You totally are." Angie shot back, grabbing her brother around his neck playfully. "You're always driving me crazy."

Tyler squirmed and pulled away from his sister. "Stop it Angie, you're embarrassing me." he said, though he had a half smile on his face as he spoke.

Angie brushed her hands together like she had just completed a task. She looked at the two mutants expectantly. "So...since you're here, you two are welcome to stick around for dinner. I'm making meatball lasagna." she said. At the mention of dinner Tyler looked at his sister with an embarrassed and contrite expression, causing Angie to narrow her eyes at him. "What?" she asked suspiciously.

"We...kind of already ate." Tyler responded.

"And had dessert." Bebop added, prompting an annoyed look from Tyler.

Angie glared at her brother, a new swell of annoyance rising inside her. "I told you this morning that I was planning to cook tonight. I asked you not to fill up on after school snacks. But I bet you forgot all that too." she said acidly.

"I'm sorry ok." Tyler responded. "Yes I forgot. We were having fun at the arcade and then decided to go get some pizza at Vinnie's and I didn't think about dinner at all."

Angie crossed her arms in annoyance. "Well I guess I'll just have to eat all by myself." she declared in a huff.

"Um..." Rocksteady began, raising his hand a bit reluctantly, like a school kid in class with an intimidating teacher. "Actually, I could go for some lasagna." he said.

Tyler looked at the mutant with bug eyes. "You ate an entire hand-tossed large pizza by yourself and half the breadstick basket AND the ice cream. Where are you going to put anymore food?" he asked with surprise.

Rocksteady smiled warmly. "Haven't you seen me? I'm a mutant. I've got a mutant sized appetite." he said with pride, thumping his substantial belly with one hand.

Bebop smiled and shook his head. "Don't buy his junk explanation. Rocksteady's just a pig." He exclaimed, reaching over and poking Rocksteady playfully in the gut.

"Who are you callin a pig, pig?" Rocksteady responded. "I know you want some too."

Definitely!" Bebop said. He turned to Angie and gave her a thumbs up. "Lasagna's one of my favorite foods. Lay it on us sistah." he said.

"Alright, glad I'll have some company for dinner." Angie said, giving her brother another dirty look. "Since you failed to listen to me AND you forgot to tell me your friends were coming over, why don't you pay me back by doing your homework tonight instead of on Sunday?"

A look of horror plastered across Tyler's face, more dramatic than any of his previous expressions. "Come on Angie, anything but that! Bebop and Rocksteady and me were going to hang out more and play some games or watch a movie or something. That's going to screw up the whole night."

"Maybe that will teach you to pay more attention." Angie said as she turned and walked past Bebop back down the hall towards the kitchen. "You can do that stuff until I'm done cooking the meal." she said back over her shoulder.

Tyler's face fell at his sister's declaration and he sighed with resignation. There was no protesting when Angie put her foot down like that. He was stuck. "Guess we can't really do much tonight after all." he said to the two mutants.

The disappointed look on Tyler's face struck something inside Rocksteady, something that he hadn't really suspected was there. "You know...maybe we could help ya wit your homework." he said, and even as he spoke the words surprised him. At the end of the hall Angie stopped and looked back at the three with curiosity.

Bebop stared at his friend with a bit of surprise, but after a moment he smiled and nodded. "Uh, yeah." He added. "If we help, you could get it done faster and we'd have time ta do more stuff after."

Tyler looked up at his friends, his face betraying a mix of surprise and disbelief. "You'd really do that?" he asked.

Bebop smiled. "Sure. We're friends right?" he said.

Rocksteady nodded, and then looked a little worried. "Don't know how much help we can be dough. We weren't much good at school, and we kinda mess stuff up a lot. But we'll definitely try our best!" he finished, giving the boy a crooked smile.

Tyler smiled back warmly at his friends. "Thanks guys." he said, his voice filled with a significant amount of emotion.

At the end of the hall Angie watched the exchange, feeling a similar mix of emotions wash over her. She hadn't really been serious about making Tyler do his homework that night, even if she had been really annoyed with his behavior. It wouldn't be fair to force him to work with his friends over. But maybe she would let the "punishment" stand after all. Tyler had never had anyone to help him with his homework other than their parents (Angie was often home too late or too tired), had barely even had any real friends at all in his short life so far. The look on Tyler's face at the moment Rocksteady and Bebop offered to help, and the warmth in his voice, was something Angie had rarely seen him express before, especially with anyone outside the family. There really was something special between her brother and these two strange mutant men. Maybe this odd pairing could work out after all. Angie smiled warmly to herself and nodded, slipping away down the hall before the three could turn around and notice her watching. She headed through the living room and into the kitchen to begin fixing dinner, a new light spring in her step.

* * *

In Rocksteady's opinion the tray of lasagna that Angie brought to the table was woefully small, he could have easily eaten the entire thing and considered it just a light snack. But he managed not to complain at all as Angie distributed the portions to each of their plates; even Tyler decided that he'd have a small slice, just to satisfy his sister. But even with such a small portion, Rocksteady had to admit it was the best tasting lasagna he'd ever had in his life. The four of them spent their twenty minute dinner around the small living room table making small talk; the mutants and Tyler chatting amicably about comics, movies, and video games, with Angie interjecting her own thoughts any time they brought up a movie she'd actually seen.

Even though she wasn't a large part of the conversation Angie didn't really mind, it was such a refreshing novelty to just watch her brother interact with friends of his own. She observed the way the two mutants bantered with the boy, taking note of almost every sentence and word choice, watching carefully for any hint that the two of them might be dangerous to Tyler or taking advantage of him in some way. She was still suspicious of the age difference, and their declared profession, but to her relief she wasn't seeing anything particularly worrisome yet. The two mutants weren't sending off any "creeper" vibes, accidental nudity notwithstanding, and they seemed genuinely engaged and interested in her brother, treating him as their equal. From the mental perspective, it seemed like having three average pre-teen boys in the house, rather than one boy and two hulking animal men.

After dinner Tyler reluctantly dragged his homework into the living room and the two mutants fulfilled their promise to try and help. "Try" being the operative word. Like Rocksteady predicted, the two of them were obviously ill equipped for the rigors of sixth grade math and science, and Tyler ended up spending most of the time teaching the material to them, rather than receiving their help. But in the end the arrangement was still ultimately beneficial, as Tyler finished the work much quicker than his average time; the presence of friends keeping him on task and preventing daydreaming, Angie noted. The trio finished the evening by watching a couple of the latest episodes of some super hero show Tyler had recorded off the TV recently.

All in all, it had been one of the strangest and most unique days experienced by all parties involved. Full of ups and downs, fears and anxieties, and completely shocking surprises. Late that night, after returning to the Technodrome; exhausted and drained, but strangely invigorated at the same time, Rocksteady had to finally admit to his friend just how much fun he'd had, and what a great idea hanging out with Tyler had actually turned out to be. "See, I told ya buddy, nuttin to worry 'bout." Bebop replied, and Rocksteady had to agree. The mutants stayed awake for almost two hours more, laying in their bunks in the dark, excitedly talking about all the highlights of their day, and anticipating with great enthusiasm their next opportunity to hang out with Tyler. As they finally drifted to sleep at a little past midnight, dreaming purely innocent and happy dreams for perhaps the first time in years, neither one of the two mutants realized the truth of the Pandora's Box they had inadvertently opened, and that they had just taken another large step down the path that would soon change their lives permanently.


	8. Chapter 7: Their Thoughts

\- 7 -

Their Thoughts

 **Tyler:** It had been about three months since Tyler officially become friends with the two mutants Rocksteady and Bebop...and the young pre-teen had to admit that life hadn't been this great since before the tragic loss of his parents years before!

Tyler had always been something of a loner throughout his short twelve years of life; the kid most likely to be found sitting by the school fence reading a sci-fi novel five grade levels above his own, or wandering by himself in an empty corner of the playground, lost in vivid imagination, rather than playing games with all the other "normal" children. He'd been singled out often both for bullying and by well meaning teachers for his academic aptitude and intelligence, which never did him any favors in the eyes of some kids. He'd had acquaintances his own age over the years, people like Zack with whom he was on relatively friendly terms, whom he could rely on to say hi to him in the hallway or lend him an eraser during a test; some of these kids even came over to hang out once or twice, but none of them ever clicked with Tyler enough to go deeper than that. In truth Tyler's best and only friend had always been his father, who shared all of Tyler's more nerdy passions and spent countless hours of quality time with the young boy. Family had always been the top priority for Tyler's father, and he and his wife never skimped on the attention with either of their children.

Because he'd never been really close with anyone outside his family, Tyler wasn't all that aware of his own loneliness in the first place. You can't miss what you never experience. The boy'd never been really consciously bothered by the fact that he had no real friends in school or church, it was just a reality of his life. But now he had real friends, true friends, and as unique and unorthodox as the two of them were, Tyler was finally getting a taste of what most everyone else had already experienced, and he couldn't get enough of it. Tyler loved spending time with Bebop and Rocksteady. Everything just seemed more fun, more fulfilling, brighter, and more meaningful when shared with other likeminded people. He finally had somebody he could play multiplayer video games with, to take him to the movies, or eat with him after school at their favorite restaurant. Angie did some of these things with her brother, of course, but she had different interests and priorities than him, and Tyler could tell she often did some stuff more to please him or out of obligation than because she wanted to. But Rocksteady and Bebop really got him; he hadn't connected with anyone else besides his father to this extent before. It was even fun when they would offer to help him with his homework; they were both genuinely terrible at a lot of subjects and Tyler mostly ended up teaching them the material instead, but the boy found that having to explain the work to someone else usually helped him come to understand it better as well, and it made him feel great that they both seemed to really want to help. Things at school were even going better for the boy; after the incident at the pizzeria, and after Tyler subsequently returned the wallet, Kenny had become much more cordial to the boy than ever before. The two of them definitely weren't friends but at least the bully stopped relentlessly targeting Tyler specifically. For a while some of the kids picked on Tyler just out of disbelief that the boy had actually really met and befriended the two infamous minions of Shredder and Krang, but all that was put to rest when Tyler convinced the mutants to pick him up from school one afternoon, in front of everybody. Both of them had been happy to oblige, and seeing the mutants in the flesh, big as life, had shut up all the skepticism in one fell swoop. Rocksteady and Bebop both promised that if Tyler had anymore bullying problems at school all he had to do is say the word and they would gladly take care of it. Not that Tyler would ever take them up on it, but the fact that they even offered made him very happy. Tyler thought that it probably wasn't all that different than what it would feel like to have two strong protective big brothers watching out for him.

The two mutants were still tight lipped about anything having to do with their human lives prior to joining the Shredder; neither one of them was even willing to share their real names with Tyler, much to his annoyance. Every now and then he would catch glimpses of certain behaviors or personality quirks that seemed to hint at elements of the mysterious past the two refused to talk about; such as the fact that Rocksteady seemed to casually notice and understand some Russian vocabulary, or that Bebop seemed to know a little bit more than expected about Southern US history, but not enough to really figure out anything solid about the two. Tyler still remembered the sudden reflexive anger Rocksteady had shown at hearing the term "mook" and the memory reminded the boy not to dig too deep into his friends' pasts unless they were willing to let him on their own.

Of course the relationship still had its complications. The first thing Zack had done after finding out about the friendship was to warn Tyler not to trust the mutants, and that he was putting himself in great danger by hanging out with them. He even slipped Tyler a new turtle com and told him to use it to contact the turtles if Rocksteady and Bebop ever turned on him. Tyler of course dismissed the warnings, but he did decide to keep the turtle com, just in case Rocksteady and Bebop ever inadvertently brought their work life into the friendship at some point. Of course they were still on the job with Shredder constantly. He worried a lot about the two whenever they were out on missions; though he never really feared for their lives. The Turtles weren't the kind of heroes to kill, and if Shredder hadn't already done it long ago there was little chance he'd do it now, regardless of the two's failures. Still, he worried about the remote chance of Shredder or Krang one day hitting upon an evil scheme that would actually work, or the very real possibility that the villains might get banished to Dimension X again at some point.

Angie surprisingly was getting along well with his new friends. Tyler figured that she was probably just so happy and relieved that he finally had friends at all that she was currently overlooking all the stuff that would have normally gotten on her nerves, but he had no idea how long that period could last. So far they were both doing well at keeping up the ruse of being bouncers in front of Angie, but Tyler was always worrying just how long that deception could last. Even though she rarely watched the news or read the papers, Tyler now found himself going out of the way to make sure that no stories or articles mentioning the two mutants or showing their images came close to reaching his sister's notice. And it was getting harder and harder to keep fooling Angie with the fake bouncer story every time the two guys showed up covered in bruises and scrapes and laser exhaust burns after their latest tangle with the Turtles. Tyler figured it was only a matter of time before they would have to tell her the truth, he just hoped that when the time came that Angie wouldn't immediately turn against the two.

Speaking of his sister, it certainly hadn't slipped past Tyler's notice that Rocksteady seemed to be taking a particular liking to her. The rhino always tended to become a bit flustered and stuttery whenever she was in the room, and the boy had noticed the mutant starting to pay more attention to his hygiene and appearance compared to the start of their friendship. Tyler of course didn't really get it; what the mutant could possibly see in his sister was a mystery to him, she was just a girl. But if that was something Rocksteady was interested in, Tyler wasn't opposed; he was in favor of pretty much anything that would reduce the chances of Angie forbidding him from seeing his friends.

Overall, Tyler was extremely satisfied with how his life was going now. He and the mutants were spending time together at least four or five times a week now, and enjoying the heck out of every minute of it. Even if it was work to keep the job deception up, Tyler had not been this happy in years, and he was looking forward with extreme excitement to whatever the future held from this point on.

 **Rocksteady:** It had been about three months since he and Bebop had officially become friends with Tyler...and Rocksteady had to admit that it had been the best three months of his life so far, and he knew that Bebop definitely felt the same way!

All in all, when Rocksteady really thought about it he realized that his life wasn't all that great in the end. Sure, he enjoyed the opportunities to fight and cut loose that came with working for Shredder, and some of the missions they were given could be fun or engaging, but it was really a very thankless job, and neither he or Bebop were very good at it, a fact Shredder and Krang were both more than happy to remind them of every chance they got. And before Shredder, he and Bebop had been homeless, moving from gang to gang, doing whatever horrible rotten things were asked of them all in exchange for shelter, a bit of food, and maybe a little pocket change. And before that were the former lives that neither Rocksteady nor Bebop ever wanted to remember. It wasn't an understatement to say that Rocksteady'd had a pretty lousy life. The single bright spot was Bebop; the only other living being he'd ever truly bonded with and cared about. He'd always thought that as long as he had Bebop's friendship, nothing else in the world would ever matter or phase him. But he was now discovering the joys of having someone else in his life that he cared about too, and who cared about him back; being friends with Tyler had suddenly brought a new and heretofore unimagined joy and excitement to the Rhino, and he pursued the experience with great enthusiasm.

In only a short period, hanging out with Tyler had become the highlight of the mutants' long weeks, and they started spending every possible hour of free time they could with the boy. The trio spent hours playing video games together, talking endlessly about all their favorite comics and movies, never seeming to get tired or run out of new topics to discuss and argue over. Both of them were becoming very protective of the boy as well; Rocksteady always wanted to know how things were going for Tyler at school, if he was getting along with the other kids and if anyone was trying to bully him. Both he and Bebop promised each other that anyone who dared to mess with their new friend would regret their actions dearly if the two mutants ever caught wind. Rocksteady sometimes wondered if this is what it might be like to have a little brother; he relished the feeling of being looked up to by someone younger and more vulnerable than himself, someone who he could help and protect if he had to. Someone who actually NEEDED him. To his great surprise, even though he had always hated school, Rocksteady even found that he enjoyed trying to help Tyler with his homework. Of course both he and Bebop were usually terrible at all of Tyler's subjects, but for some reason it didn't seem to bother him in this case, just being able to *try* helping felt incredibly good. And Tyler never made the two mutants feel bad for not knowing a math problem or some obscure history fact; instead he went out of his way to teach them what he was studying, and Rocksteady was surprised to find he was actually learning and retaining the information. Everything had always seemed to go over his head back in school, but when Tyler explained something it usually just clicked somehow and made sense!

Other things were changing in the mutant's life as well. Though he would NEVER EVER admit this fact out loud to anyone, even Bebop; (after all, who knew how many hidden microphones and cameras there were in the Technodrome, or who might be following them up on the surface) Rocksteady was actually starting to slack off a little in his efforts to complete Shredder and Krang's assigned missions. It was not out of any high minded or principled stances, Rocksteady still felt almost no moral qualms about his criminal life at all, it was just that in comparison to his and Bebop's new found friendship with Tyler, daily life under the command of Shredder had just sort of started to lose its appeal. Now, instead of focusing his attention on the tasks at hand, Rocksteady was often distracted by thoughts of what he and Bebop would get to do the next time they met with Tyler. Plus, if Shredder and Krang ever succeeded in taking over the world for real that would probably mean the two mutants would no longer be able to see Tyler and Rocksteady definitely did not want that. So maybe he wasn't giving his 100% to the cause anymore. If maybe an absentminded mistake here, a clumsy pratfall there, were no longer just the product of his natural awkwardness and incompetence, who would be the wiser? He'd even stopped trying as hard in his fights with the Turtles; not enough for it to be really noticeable, but he was definitely pulling his punches some, and taking a little less care with how he aimed his laser blasts, not that he'd ever had great aim to begin with. He would never dare ask of course, but Rocksteady suspected that Bebop was doing all of the same things on his end; they both cared about their new friendship too much to give it up if they could help it. And...if Rocksteady was completely soul-searchingly honest he would also have to admit that the words of the smart purple turtle were still embedded inside him, working away at his resolve. If they ever did succeed in conquering the world, it wouldn't just mean an end to his friendship with Tyler, it could mean an end to Tyler himself, and his sister too, and that was something just too horrible for Rocksteady to really contemplate.

And there was one final reason for Rocksteady's new found enthusiasm for life. Tyler's sister Angie. Almost since their first meeting Rocksteady had developed a huge crush on the young woman. It was the first time he'd ever experienced feelings like this before, and they were often bewildering and very exciting at the same time. Naturally, there had been girls in his high school whom he'd been physically attracted to, girls he would have gladly "fooled around" with if given the chance, but he hadn't been very popular with anyone back then, and the idea of having a REAL relationship, beyond the physical, had never been a high priority in his mind. But Angie was different. It wasn't just that she was attractive; Rocksteady honestly loved everything about her. The way she smiled, her laugh, the way she could give attitude right back to her brother and the mutants, her fierce work ethic, her protectiveness of Tyler and the way she tried hard to support herself and him in the absence of their parents. Rocksteady loved it all. It seemed to him like he could just sit and listen to her talk for hours and not get tired. Almost every time she was in the room with the trio, Rocksteady felt his heart start racing, and he became embarrassingly tongue tied and awkward. She could probably see right through him, he knew Bebop could.

Despite his strong crush, Rocksteady didn't entertain any hope for the possibility that Angie might consider dating him or that she could have any kind of feelings for him whatsoever, even in his wildest dreams. How could someone like her possibly want to date a mutant like him? The possibility just seemed so remote and fantastical. It would just never happen and that was that. He wasn't even sure if it would really be "ok" in the first place. Yeah, he was human inside, but on the outside he was part animal, he didn't think there was any normal girl on the planet that would be able to get past that. Not to mention the fact that he and Bebop were lying to her about their jobs and their lives outside of their friendship with Tyler. No, he didn't have a chance with Angie, that was just the truth. For the most part Rocksteady was ok with that; he could just be content to admire her from afar. As long as he and Bebop could continue to see Tyler and his sister, he would be happy and satisfied; he didn't really need anything more. Or so he thought at the time.

 **Angie:** It had been about three months since her kid brother Tyler had officially made friends with two intimidating mutants named Bebop and Rocksteady...and Angie had to admit that she had not seen such a positive change in her brother since before the tragic loss of their parents many years before!

Tyler had always been a loner, as long as Angie could remember the boy'd had few friends and seemingly little interest in making any to begin with. Angie couldn't really understand it, her nature craved the fellowship of others almost as much as it craved air, and she could hardly fathom how someone could go through life with so few connections and not just go stark raving mad. But for whatever reason it seemed to work just fine for her brother, as far as Angie could tell he wasn't lonely and he wasn't anti-social or mal-adjusted, he just seemed to be genuinely uninterested in making friends. Or so she'd thought. In the past few months she'd been forced to re-assess her brother completely, as she observed the way he took to his new friendship with great enthusiasm. "He was probably lonely all along, and just never realized it because he had no experience of anything else" one of her psychologically minded friends suggested when she brought the topic up, and Angie had to agree with the assessment. Her once quit, passive little brother, always with his nose in some book or comic or game, was now suddenly blossoming into a real active teenager with a social life, right before her eyes. It was amazing.

What was also amazing was the friendship itself and the two individuals with whom it was made. Angie didn't know exactly what to think of her brother's two knew BFFs, Rocksteady and Bebop. The two of them often seemed a bundle of contradictions, which kind of made sense when you considered the whole mutant thing. At times they could be extremely immature, like they were hardly older than Tyler himself, and other times they acted like mature protective adult brothers to the boy. They could at times be extremely crude and almost thuggish, but they never acted threatening towards Tyler or her and could usually turn on the politeness when she came into the room. She figured it was mostly tied to their jobs; they probably had to act very tough and intimidating most of the time in order to be effective bouncers. Despite Bebop's assertion that they "didn't have to do much" at their job, the two of them always seemed to show up with bruises and scrapes, obviously from fighting. It made Angie worried sometimes, not really for the mutants (the idea of them being in actual danger in a fight seemed laughable, given their size and obvious strength) but because of how it might affect Tyler. Angie worried, more so in the beginning, that the two mutants, with their jobs as strip club bouncers and their obvious penchant for fighting, might end up being a negative influence on Tyler, drawing him into violent situations or covertly inviting him down to their club for an illicit male "Right of Passage" or some such. But as time went on, her fears gradually faded away. She knew that the two had offered to beat up any bullies from school that were threatening her brother, but to Angie's relief Tyler turned them down, and she didn't see any evidence of the boy becoming more aggressive or prone to using force because of his time spent with the mutants. The two also seemed smart enough to know not to bring their work or their fights over to their meetings with Tyler, and she never saw any evidence of them sneaking in negative materials to the apartment, or even heard them talk much about their jobs in front of her brother. Heck, in the end Tyler would probably end up being more of a "bad influence" on the mutants than they were on him; he certainly had a much more "colorful" grasp of language than the mutants, for one thing.

But it wasn't just that Angie was surprised at how little negative influence the mutants were having on her brother, but just how good the relationship actually seemed to work between them. She could easily tell from watching them together that the two mutants really did genuinely care about Tyler. The three of them completely connected and related, in a way she was familiar with from her own personal friendships; they just "got" each other. Angie watched them spend hours together just talking about a single issue of some dumb comic they'd all read, or discussing the merits of laser sound effects in some mindless super hero flick. They were constantly playing video games, racing or chasing after a digital ball or beating each other into submission by proxy, but she never saw anything between them besides friendly competition. There were rarely any conflicts except the most minor squabbles, usually between the two mutants rather than Tyler, and never any sore winners or hurt feelings. Rocksteady and Bebop were also greatly concerned about Tyler's social life and school work; they asked every time they saw him if he was doing ok in class, if he was getting along with the teachers and other students, if there was anything bothering him. They usually volunteered to help with homework too, which Angie found particularly noteworthy given the fact that both of the mutants obviously struggled when it came to academics. She couldn't know for sure, and it would be rude to ask, but Angie would not be surprised at all if it turned out neither of them had graduated high school, and yet when it came to Tyler the two mutants were willing to try their best to help him, even if it meant having to demonstrate their ignorance in the process. Even without much ability to genuinely "help", Angie could tell that the mutants' involvement in Tyler's school work was benefiting her brother anyway. Tyler never teased the mutants for their lack of academic ability and showed great patience and kindness as he used his homework time to teach the mutants the material instead, which in turn helped him do better with the work as well. Angie remembered once receiving advice from a teacher that if she wanted to know a subject better she should consider tutoring someone else in it; she had never really understood the truth of this advice until she saw it in action with her brother. And the friendship with the mutants was benefitting Tyler in all areas of his behavior. He was now brighter, more cheerful, less cynical, more adjusted with school, more enthusiastic about his work, less mouthy and obstinate towards her; he had even been significantly less forgetful and spacey as of late. Despite how it might look from the outside, Angie had to admit that her brother's friendship with these two strange half animal grown men was changing his life for the better, and probably theirs too, and she couldn't be happier for them.

Of course there was one more unique element to this story that Angie had to acknowledge. Rocksteady, the one who had been mixed up with a rhinoceros, had a very obvious crush on her. It'd been apparent almost from the moment they'd met on the day Tyler brought the mutants over; Angie had suspected from the start that Rocksteady's reaction to their first encounter was more than just simple embarrassment over her seeing him in his boxer shorts, there'd been something there even back then, and it only grew more obvious as time went on. Almost any time Angie walked into a room with the trio, Rocksteady would start to blush and become endearingly tongue tied or overtly cheerful and happy to see her. She often caught him staring at her out of the corner of his eye, and he was usually just as interested in asking how her day at work had been as he was to ask Tyler about his school day, where as his companion Bebop was usually polite to her but entirely focused only on Tyler and their current activities. And what surprised Angela even more was the fact that she was actually starting to contemplate if it might work to ask the guy out. Seriously! Of course even Angie couldn't honestly say that she found Rocksteady "attractive" in any normal sense; he did happen to look like something you would find at the Zoo after all. But she couldn't call him horrendously ugly either, it was easy to see in his eyes and expressions and smile the human that he really was underneath, and Angie had to admit that in a certain light, at certain moments, he was really kind of cute. The unique way his eyes would widen in surprise or excitement, the way he sometimes smiled, big and kind of lopsided, with an unassuming almost innocent demeanor; at those moments, yes, Angie did find him pretty cute, at least in a "huggable stuffed animal" kind of way. He also seemed to have a good heart under his occasionally rough and moody exterior; she saw it in the way he treated her brother, his concern for Tyler's emotions and well-being, the way he treated the boy like an equal and not just a young kid, and she especially saw it in the unshakably solid bond between Rocksteady and his friend Bebop. It had only taken a few visits for her to notice the unique connection of friendship and loyalty between the two mutants; despite the occasional bickering and even mild physical altercations, the two mutants shared a deep and unwavering dedication to one another. They relied on and trusted each other completely, without any doubt or self-consciousness. From Angie's perspective it was like the two mutants were fellow combat veterans who had bonded irrevocably over some shared traumatic experience in their past. She was aware that the two refused to say very much about their old human lives; she figured they must have gone through something very terrible when they were younger, with only their friendship to help them through. A guy like that, one who could so easily bond with and relate to a young child without any self-consciousness, who showed such loyalty and caring for his friends, certainly had the potential to show the same to anyone he cared about, Angie thought. And Rocksteady definitely cared about her.

There were a few caveats to the situation though. Angie definitely felt that the two mutants were still keeping something notable from her, about their jobs or their lives. Something that Tyler was in on, she suspected. It wouldn't be the first time Tyler had lied to her or bent the truth to his advantage. He was a 12 year old boy after all. And Rocksteady obviously had a few self-esteem hang ups. She noticed that he often put himself down or underestimated his own abilities, and was genuinely surprised whenever he succeeded at doing something, whether in just a video game or with helping Tyler on homework or various other things. And she noticed that Rocksteady generally deferred to Bebop or even Tyler when it came to making decisions, even ones as minor as what movie to watch or what take-out to order. Angie suspected that the Rhino must have experienced a lot of failure and harsh criticism in whatever mysterious past he'd endured. Bebop showed signs of low self-esteem occasionally as well, but it was clear that he was usually the one taking the lead. But even here she had seen improvements over the past three months due to the mutants' relationship with Tyler; Rocksteady was much more confident in his abilities to help Tyler or accomplish a task (like when he'd volunteered to help do dishes after a meal recently) than he had been at the very start of the friendship. He still had a long way to go though. Angie had occasionally been told by other woman, including her own mother, that a guy who wasn't "man enough" to at least risk the pain of rejection to actually ask her out on his own probably wasn't worth bothering with in the first place. Angie mostly agreed with the sentiment, but felt like a special exception could be allowable for this case. After all, self-esteem issues aside, it wasn't at all hard to imagine that a guy in a situation like Rocksteady's might have concluded that ALL "normal" girls were off limits to him by default. Angie suspected that the mutant issue would always be a barrier for Rocksteady no matter how much he grew in self-confidence. It would be up to her to "break the ice" and open up the possibility on her own. And even with his flaws and self-esteem issues, Rocksteady was still a more suitable choice for a relationship than many of the guys she had met in the past few years. At least the two mutants actually HAD stable paying jobs, and the independence to take care of themselves, and weren't living in their parents' basements or something like that. She could definitely do a lot worse than a guy like Rocksteady.

And so it was that Angie began to formulate an idea.


	9. Chapter 8: Fateful First Date

-8-

Fateful First Date

Rocksteady stared at the girl as if she had just spoken in some incomprehensible foreign language. His brain couldn't even comprehend the statement he'd just been given. "Um...couldya repeat dat? I aint sure I heard right." he said with confusion, scratching his head.

The three of them were in Tyler's room. Rocksteady and Bebop were sitting side by side on the floor in front of Tyler's TV, video game controllers lying in their laps. They'd paused the game so Tyler could go get some more snacks from the kitchen, and were waiting on his return when Angie came in to talk to them. Or more specifically, to Rocksteady.

Angie smiled at Rocksteady's flummoxed expression. "I said, I'm getting together with a bunch of my friends tonight; just to hang out, get a bite to eat, maybe walk around the park a bit. I wanted to know if you'd like to come along." she explained.

Rocksteady looked over at Bebop. The mutant warthog just smiled and shrugged. Rocksteady looked back to Angie, still confused. "You mean all of us together? Me and Bebop and Tyler, right?" He asked.

Bebop grinned widely and slapped Rocksteady on his shoulder. "Don't be a dummy, pal. 'course she don't want me and da kid along. She's askin' you out!" He turned back to Angie and gave her a salute. "Rocksteady says yes. I'll keep an eye on Tyler, don't worry." he said.

Rocksteady's cheek's slightly reddened. "I didn't say nuttin! Don't act like you can speak for me!" He growled as he made a grab for Bebop, who scooted out of his reach, laughing.

"I know ya want to. You haven't stopped talkin bout her all month." Bebop responded. An evil grin suddenly stretched across the mutant's face. Bebop leapt to his feet and crossed the room to Angie in two quick strides. He put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down close to her ear. "Just so you know..." he began, speaking in a loud stage whisper that his friend could easily hear. "Rocksteady really likes it when his ears are rubbed. Makes him go all tingly and mellow."

Angie laughed and blushed slightly but it was no comparison to Rocksteady. The mutant's normally gray face suddenly glowed tomato red. "H...HEY! Don't say embarrassin stuff like dat!" he shouted, grabbing a pillow off the floor and flinging it at Bebop. The warthog dodged the missile and laughed teasingly; running out of the room as Rocksteady came charging after him.

The mutant skidded to stop at the door, glaring down the hall where Bebop had just retreated. "Dat jerk..." he growled to himself and then turned towards Angie. Seeing her watching him, the anger flooded away from the mutant, replaced by embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his head and looked away. "Um...sorry bout dat." he said.

Angie shook her head and smiled sympathetically. "No problem. I know how you feel; Tyler is like that sometimes too.

"Yeah." Rocksteady said, nodding. He turned his eyes back and met her gaze, blushing again slightly. "So...you really want me to come wit you and your friends?" he asked shyly.

"I do, really. It will be fun." she replied.

Rocksteady twiddled his fingers nervously. "You sure your friends will really be ok wit me?" he asked hesitantly.

Angie nodded. "Don't worry, they'll be fine. I already told them all about you and Bebop back when you became friends with Tyler. They know you're a mutant, they won't have any problem with it, I promise." she said reassuringly.

Rocksteady thought about it for a few seconds and then grinned widely. "Ok! If you tink they won't mind, den sure. That would be great!" he said.

"Then it's set." Angie said matter-of-factly. "We're all going to meet in the lobby of this building at 5:30, I'll see you then." After a moment, she reached out and put a hand on Rocksteady's left forearm. "I'm really glad you said yes." she told him, a slight hint of shyness in her voice.

Rocksteady blushed redder than before. "Um...s...sure, no problem." he stuttered out. Angie nodded and began to walk towards the door. "Wait!" Rocksteady said suddenly. Angie stopped and turned back, looking at him with an expectant curious expression. Rocksteady felt his heart beating faster in his chest. He summoned up his courage and spoke. "So...is dis really a date? Like Bebop was sayin before?" he asked, stealthily holding his breath as he waited for the reply.

Angie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is." she replied as she turned and walked down the hall, leaving the mutant Rhino standing in the middle of Tyler's room with a look of undeniable joy and excitement plastered on his face.

* * *

"So we've already heard about how he looks, but tell us what this guy's like, Angela. Don't keep us all in suspense." Pam exclaimed, elbowing Angie on the arm.

It was 5:25 and the group of friends was standing outside the apartment building, waiting for Angie's new boyfriend to show up. Angie leaned back against the brick wall and glanced sideways at the skinny blond girl next to her. Best friends since High School, Pam and Angie were inseparable. Angie rolled her eyes and smiled back at the girl. "I've already told you about him a million times." She said.

"I know, but I was just asking for the benefit of the rest of them." Pam responded, looking over the group.

"Yeah, we know he's a mutant, but what else?" Richard, Pam's boyfriend, added, leaning around his date to look at Angie. "He's not some kind of weirdo right?"

Angie smiled and shook her head. "No. Besides how he looks, he's kind of gruff and intimidating on first impression..."

"Oh, so he's a bad boy." Kim said coly, winking at Angie as she twisted a strand of brown hair around her finger and leaned against her boyfriend Hiro, who smirked at the comment.

"I think your mixing up your taste with hers." Tara said sarcastically, eyeing Hiro and his black leather jacket.

"She just wishes she had a guy like you, babe." Kim said, leaning her head back to kiss her boyfriend and then giving Tara a haughty look.

Tara rolled her eyes and glanced sideways at Patrick, who was leaning against a mailbox at the side of the street. "Did we really have to invite them, Puddy?" she asked.

"The more the merrier I say." Patrick replied, smiling slightly.

Kim stuck her tongue out at Tara, who rolled her eyes and turned back to Angie. "So you were saying?"

"As I was trying to say..." Angie continued, feeling a little exasperated. "He's kind of gruff and intimidating on first impression, but he's actually really nice and kind when he lets his guard down."

Patrick smiled and pushed his glasses up with his finger. "You know that's just what all the bad boys want you to think." he said.

"No really, he is." Angie continued. "He's kind of innocent and naive deep down. Sometimes he acts just like a little kid. But in a cute way." she added hastily as her friends started giving her "the look". "Anyway, I told you guys earlier that he's a bit sensitive about the whole mutant thing. When I first asked him he was worried about if it would even be ok for him to come with us, so please please don't mess this up for me ok?" She gave all her friends a stern look. "I seriously will not forgive any of you if you scare him off. Even if he looks different he's just a normal guy like anyone."

Richard smiled warmly. "Don't worry Angie, we get it. No one's going to make him feel unwelcome, we promise." He said, and the others nodded.

"Mutants aint no big deal anymore. Since the Turtles became active they're all over the place." Hiro added.

Pam smiled and put a hand on Angie's shoulder. "You know we support you if you really are interested in this guy, no matter what he looks like." She said gently.

"Thanks, Pam" Angie responded smiling.

Pam winked. "Unless of course he turns out to be a pyscho. Then you're on your own." she said jokingly.

"Gee, thanks." Angie said, bopping Pam lightly on the shoulder.

Patrick looked at his watch with a bit of annoyance. It was a little past 5:30 already. "Where is this guy anyway?" he asked.

"He'll be here, don't worry." Angie said. "He and his friend went out together after lunch and came back with a big bag of stuff, and then he went back to their apartment at four. Probably to change and clean up."

Tara smiled. "He went out and bought new clothes? That IS kind of cute."

Angie nodded. "Yeah. He needed it too. He and his friend usually wear the same outfits every day." She explained.

Kim made a face. "The same clothes all the time? That's kinda weird." She commented.

Angie shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, but I think it might be part of their "image" for their jobs." She said, making air quotes in the air. "They have to be intimidating to keep patrons from causing trouble at the bar they work at."

Kim nodded but didn't look convinced. "Still weird if you ask me" She said.

Tara gave her a sarcastic sideways glance. "Not everyone is a privileged princess like you. We can't all own an outfit for every day of the year." She snarked. Kim rolled her eyes at her.

Hiro smirked and looked at Angie. "Isn't it usually the girl who makes the guy wait while she gets ready?" he asked, making Angie laugh and nod.

Richard looked up, spotting something down the street. His eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Um, guys I think I see him." he said, with a little bit of awe in his voice.

Everyone turned to look down the street. Hiro whistled a short note. "He IS big. You weren't lying about that." he said to Angie, sounding impressed.

Angie watched as Rocksteady plodded down the street towards them. When he caught sight of the group, she saw a brief look of apprehension pass through his eyes, and then he smiled and gave her a little wave as he increased his pace.

She had been right with her guess that he and Bebop had gone out to buy new clothes. He was wearing a new pair of denim jeans, the blue of the fabric so dark it was almost black, and a large black and red checked flannel shirt, with a brown leather bomber jacket on top. He even had brand new spiffy looking high-top sneakers on his feet. It was the first time Angie had seen him wearing anything other than his usual yellow t-shirt, brown cargo pants and combat boots combo, and the effect of the new clothes was strong. He looked almost like a completely new person. As he reached the group Angie also noticed that he'd showered and shaved since she saw him that morning, and she caught a subtle whiff of some appealing new aftershave lotion he'd applied. Overall, she was impressed. "You look great." she said as he reached the group and stopped in front of her.

"Tanks" he said, blushing slightly. He moves his eyes across the outfit she was wearing, jeans and new T-shirt and jacket combo she had gotten a few weeks ago. "Y…you too." He complimented.

Angie smiled. It was a pretty casual outfit, nothing fancy, but it was still nice to be complimented. She gestured to her friends, who were all gathering around the mutant now. "Let me introduce you to everyone." She said as she began to go around the circle. "This is Pam and her boyfriend Richard." She said, pointing to the couple on her right.

"Hey dude. Nice to meet you." Richard stated. "We've been hearing a lot about you lately, it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"Glad you could make it." added Pam.

"Pam is my best friend, we've been together since high school." Angie explained.

"Which means if you want to keep Angie, she's the one you're going to have to impress." Tara commented.

"Tara!" Angie exclaimed with embarrassment, and Rocksteady blushed slightly, looking more nervous. Angie shook her head and laughed, then gave the mutant an apologetic shrug as she gestured towards the other girl. "Don't listen to her. That's just our resident loudmouth..."

"Tara." interrupted Tara, giving Rocksteady a small flirty wave. "Like she said, I'm the one who always speaks her mind. You don't ever have to worry about what I might think of you, cause I'll tell you. Many times." She smiled and then looked towards Kim and her boyfriend. "I'll keep the intros going. This bubblehead over to my left is Kim, and the leather jacket wearing delinquent she's rubbing up against is her boyfriend Hiro."

"I love you too, Tara." Kim said sarcastically, making a rude gesture towards the other girl with her hand. Hiro smiled and nodded towards Rocksteady.

"And…" Tara continued, turning to her right. "This dour faced, way too serious lump over here is my best friend and brief former boyfriend Patrick. But we all call him Puddy." she explained.

"Very brief." Patrick responded, cracking a tiny smile. "Like, a day at the most."

Tara turned back and addressed Rocksteady and the group in a mock serious tone. "Puddy's a medical student, so he wants all us losers to know that his time is now much too valuable to be wasted on the frivolities of mere mortals. But Angie and I made him pry his head out of his textbook to grace us with his presence just this once."

"Haha, very funny." Patrick responded sarcastically.

"Well that's everybody." Angie said.

Rocksteady looked around at the faces staring back at him. "Um...hi guys. I'm Rocksteady" he said, raising one hand hesitantly, obviously nervous.

Richard offered his hand, giving his best friendly smile. "Welcome to the club, Rocksteady. Like we said, glad you could make it."

Rocksteady hesitated for half a second and then took Richard's hand. "Tanks." He said, and then he smiled and let out a breath that he'd been holding in without realizing it. "Yeah, glad I came. Dis should be fun." He said, sounding like he was trying to reassure himself a little.

"So do you prefer the full name, or should we call you Rocky, or Rock, or something like that?" asked Richard.

"Just Rocksteady." The rhino replied.

Hiro walked over to Rocksteady's side and reached up to put a hand on the mutant's upper arm. "Man you're a lot bigger than Angie said. Got some great muscles." He said, looking at Rocksteady's bicep. "How much can you lift?" he asked.

Rocksteady gave the guy a bit of an uncomfortable look. "Um…a lot I guess. Nevah really paid attention." He replied, taking a step towards Angie and away from Hiro.

Hiro smiled, oblivious to Rocksteady's reaction. "Your horn's really gnarly, dude. Bet you could do some damage with that thing." he said.

"Tanks, I guess..." Rocksteady replied, looking at Hiro with a bit of annoyance.

Angie saw the look in Rocksteady's eyes and her heart sank a little. He'd only been there for two minutes and already things were getting a little iffy in the conversations. She'd told them not to make a big deal about his appearance! Sighing to herself, she opened her mouth to say something, until she noticed Tara

The other girl had caught the look on Rocksteady's face too, and in response she glared at Hiro and his girlfriend. "Kim, why don't keep a tighter leash on that boyfriend of yours?" she asked nastily. "Rocksteady isn't here to be examined and prodded like a lab specimen." Kim shot Tara a nasty look, which the other girl ignored. She turned to Rocksteady and put a hand on his elbow, pulling him gently away from Hiro and his girlfriend. "Don't mind him, Rocksteady. He's an idiot. I promise the only interrogation you'll get from the rest of us will be strictly social." she explained.

Rocksteady looked like he wasn't sure how to react. "Um..ok. No problem." He responded.

A thoughtful look came over Tara's face at that moment. She turned to look at the mutant and smiled charmingly. "So...Rocksteady? Is that like the music genre or that song they never seem to stop playing constantly on the 80's radio station?"

Rocksteady laughed. "I get dat a lot" he said and smiled, visibly relaxing. "Kinda both" he explained.

"Hey, they played that song while I was in the car this morning." Pam chimed in. "It's pretty catchy, got stuck in my head most of the morning."

"Ugh, don't remind me! Every time I hear it, I can never manage to get it gone for at least a whole day!" Tara exclaimed.

Patrick looked at Tara with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Steady rockin all night long." he added, smiling slightly.

Tara looked at him with annoyance and raised her hand in a posture of mock attack, causing Patrick to skip back a few steps, laughing. She shook her head at him and then smiled. "I guess that is what we're here to do this evening, though "all night long" may be a bit much. Now that we're all gathered, let's go eat!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we're starving. Let's go!" Pam echoed, and everybody else nodded.

"Tara knows where were going tonight, so let's follow her." Angie said.

Tara pumped her fist and moved to the head of the group. "This way boys and girls, let's go get our chow." she said in a commanding voice as she began to head down the sidewalk. The rest of the group followed after her, chatting amicably as they went.

* * *

Rocksteady was both more nervous and more excited than he had ever felt in his entire life. Even after all of the new experiences that had opened up since he and Bebop had made friends with Tyler, Rocksteady never imagined in a million years that he'd end up where he was right now, walking down the sidewalk hanging out and talking with a bunch of normal humans. On a date! Rocksteady could barely even comprehend it. Who would have thought that finding his mother's missing heirloom bracelet that morning, forgotten for years at the bottom of a box full of old trading cards and action figures, would be just the opening to the string of good luck the mutant had experienced that day.

After dealing Bebop a few good punches on the arm for embarrassing him, Rocksteady begged his friend to give him a few pointers on how to make sure his date with Angie would go smoothly. Bebop advised him to just "be yourself" and a few other general platitudes, and then suggested the two of them go out and find him some new clothes. They'd left Tyler's apartment after lunch and quickly found a nearby department store to break into. They spent about an hour and a half rummaging through the inventory in the back storeroom before Rocksteady found some clothes that would fit him and he actually liked. Even better, the mutants managed to get in and out without anyone seeing them or calling the cops, a rare victory for them as of late. They returned to Tyler's apartment to hang out for a bit more, and then Rocksteady left at 4 and took the Drill Module back to the Technodrome. He snuck back to their room to get cleaned up and changed, and then returned to the surface with about ten minutes to spare. Bebop had advised him to show up just a few minutes past the meeting time, so as not to appear too desperate, so he waited around the corner, nervously checking the clock on his communicator, until the time was just right to present himself.

And now here he was, and things seemed to be going pretty well so far. That Hiro guy had been a little bit weird and invasive at first, but things picked up in the conversations after that. All of Angie's friends were now talking to him and treating him like he was one of the gang, like there was nothing different about him at all. It felt great! Well...almost all of Angie's friends. The kind of pudgy guy with glasses, Patrick, kept giving Rocksteady weird examining glances every few minutes or so, and had generally been more quit and reserved than the rest of the group. It was starting to unnerve Rocksteady just a bit; if the guy had a problem with him he should just come out and say it, instead of being all mysterious and distant like this. But in the end it wasn't a huge deal, at least not yet. A little bit of weirdness couldn't dampen Rocksteady's high spirits. He was on a date! a GROUP DATE! With normal humans. He just couldn't get over it!

"So what's it like being a bouncer, Rocksteady?" Richard asked, jogging the Rhino out of his excited contemplations.

"It's pretty cool." Rocksteady replied jovially. "Keepin everyting secure is easy when everybody's scared of ya. No one messes wit us unless they're drunk outta dere minds. And we get free drinks and food and a nice show ever night." he wrinkled his nose and frowned slightly. "Sometimes da boss has us do odd jobs around da club dough, and dat aint fun most of da time. I hate cleaning da bathrooms and Bebop hates waxin floors. But we do what he asks."

Tara laughed. "Yeah, no one likes cleaning bathrooms, I don't care who you are or what other perks you've got with your job."

Hiro smiled and moved in closer to Rocksteady's side. "I bet even when the drunks do start a fight, it's no problem for you and your friend." he said.

Rocksteady grinned. "Yeah! No one can beat da two of us for strength," he said proudly, flexing one arm. "We just pick em up and toss em out, easy as pie. Dey can't even hurt us much when dey try to fight back. We got tough skin." He crossed his arms and a sort of dreamy look came into his eyes. "Sometimes I wish dere would be more fights dan dere are. It can get a little borin just standin around some nights."

Angie looked at him with worry. "It certainly seems like you get in plenty of fights as is. You and Bebop are always showing up at our apartment with bruises and scrapes." She stated.

"Have you ever thought of trying something like pro wrestling or boxing?" asked Patrick out of the blue. "Sounds like something you would enjoy, and be good at. And your appearance probably wouldn't be an issue; there are lots of gimmicky costumed wrestlers, so you would fit right in." he stated.

Rocksteady wasn't sure if he should take this comment as a compliment or not, but he was glad Patrick was starting to talk to him. He thought about the suggestion for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, never really tought about doing somethin like dat before. Our current job is just fine for Bebop and me right now." He said, and Patrick nodded.

"I really like you're accent." Kim said, smiling up at the mutant. "It's...kinda hot."

"What? Really?" Rocksteady asked, perplexed. He was used to people telling him he sounded stupid. This was the first time anyone had told him they liked how he talked.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Kim pretty much thinks everything is hot, Rocksteady. But I have to say I kind of agree." She said. "It's kind of…down to earth. Gritty. You sound like a real red blooded New York guy."

Rocksteady grinned. "Neat! Tanks. No one's evah said dat to me before."

"I like it too." Angie added, a bit shyly. Rocksteady blushed slightly and gave her a dopey smile.

"So what kind of things do you like to do in your free time, Rocksteady?" asked Tara.

Rocksteady grinned again, and that excited look that Angie liked passed through his eyes. "Ooh, ooh! Lots of stuff! I like video games, and comic books, and tradin cards..." he listed excitedly, counting off on his fingers.

Tara leaned in close to Angie, and Pam came to her other side. "You were right Angie, he is kinda cute when he gets excited." Tara whispered, causing Angie to blush lightly and push her away.

Pam giggled and nodded in agreement, nudging her best friend on the arm, eliciting a playful swat from Angie. "Shut up you two, he'll hear you." Angie whispered back as quietly as possible, turning pink with embarrassment.

"...And movies, and Saturday mornin cartoons, and 80's rock music. Oh! and eatin!" Rocksteady finished, oblivious to the girls' whispered communications.

Kim laughed a bit harshly. "You sound like a kid." she said flippantly.

Tara shot her another annoyed look and then smiled at Rocksteady. "Nothing wrong with that. Rocksteady's just more in touch with his inner child. Bet that's why you're such good friends with Angie's brother" she stated.

"Yeah!" Rocksteady agreed, nodding. "Tyler's my best friend, next to Bebop. I don't know wat da two of us would be doin if we hadn't met him."

Pam got a kind of devilish look in her eyes. She gave Angie a knowing glance and then sidled up to the mutant. "So, Rocksteady...could you tell us what it is you like about Angie?" she asked.

"Pam!" exclaimed Angie, blushing bright red. "Isn't that question a little forward?"

"Of course it is, but there's nothing wrong with that." said Tara. She joined Rocksteady on his right side and looked at him curiously. "Come on, big guy, spill the beans. What got you interested in our Angela?"

Rocksteady blushed and began to fidget with his hands. He glanced at Angie out of the corner of his eye, feeling his heart begin to beat faster. "Um...well...s...she's nice...and..." he began, stuttering a bit and feeling awkward. "She's really funny...and she takes good care of Tyler..." He glanced at Angie again, and blushed brighter. "She's really pretty too..." he finished, causing Pam and Tara to both "oooh" and whistle.

Angie blushed bright red. "Guys...you're embarrassing him. It's not nice." she said meekly.

Pam laughed. "You mean we're embarrassing you." She looked back at Rocksteady with more curiosity. "So, anything else?" she asked slyly.

Rocksteady rubbed one ear as he thought. "Um..." his eyes suddenly lit up again. "Ooh! She's a really good cook too!" he exclaimed.

Tara laughed and clapped Angie on the shoulder. "Well, that's that. He's all yours. If you can appeal to a man's stomach then you've got him hooked."

"Amen to that." added Richard, putting an arm around Pam's shoulder.

"Hey Tara, is that the place we're going?" interrupted Patrick, pointing to a small blue awning and sign sticking out from the building up ahead.

"Yep Puddy, that's it." Tara confirmed.

Kim gave an annoyed sigh. "About time! I'm starving." she said huffily as she and Hiro increased their pace and moved to the head of the group. Tara stuck her tongue out at the two as they passed, and then picked up her own pace to catch up.

As the rest of the group moved in unison towards the restaurant, Angie hung back and fell in step beside her date. "Sorry about all that, Rocksteady." she said contritely. "I told them not to ask that kind of stuff, but I guess they can't help it. They mean well, really."

Rocksteady shook his head and smiled. "Nah. It's ok. I don't really mind." His face reddened again slightly. "I...I like talkin 'bout you." he stuttered.

Angie blushed back and smiled shyly. At that moment she moved her hand, slowly, hesitantly. Her fingers brushed the back of Rocksteady's hand lightly, and the mutant's heart skipped a beat. He started to move his hand towards hers, but then they were at the restaurant and the moment was gone. Rocksteady held the door open for Angie and they entered, following the rest of their group.

* * *

The smell of fresh food hit Rocksteady's nostrils as they entered and he felt his stomach growl. He was starving; he'd barely even had much lunch, since he'd been too occupied with thinking about the date. He couldn't wait to sit down to a couple of big juicy sandwiches. And he was excited to finally be at the restaurant for one other reason too. He'd scrounged up as much cash as he could find lying around their room on the Technodrome, and even borrowed a few bucks from Bebop on top of that, all to make sure that he would have enough money to pay for both his food AND Angie's. That was what boyfriends were supposed to do, and Rocksteady intended to live up to the standard. Wouldn't Angie and all her friends be surprised?

The place was a nice little New York street deli, not exactly a dive but not too fancy either, the kind of place your normal blue collar worker could stop by for a nice sandwich and cup of coffee. A large see-through case full of pies and cookies lined one wall next to the counter in front of the kitchen, with more booths and tables all around the place. The server at the front counter smiled widely at the group as they entered the restaurant, and looked down to scan his table assignment sheet. "Welcome to our fine establishment this evening." he said.

"Thank you." Kim said, turning on the charm. "Table for eight, if you please."

"No problem." The server began, grabbing a stack of menus from under the counter without even looking. "If you will follow me pl..." he began, and then he stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fell on Rocksteady, who lumbered up behind the rest of the group. The server's eyes seem to widen to the size of dinner plates, and he suddenly dropped the menus in his hand onto the floor. "Um...excuse me for a moment, I need to speak with the owner." he said hastily before he turned on his heels and quickly headed away from them.

"What was that all about?" Hiro asked, a confused look on his face.

Kim shrugged, an identical perplexed look on her own face. "I don't know, maybe he has to go make sure they have a table that will fit our whole group."

Rocksteady watched the server leave, a feeling of impending doom building inside him. "I've got a bad feelin 'bout dis." he commented pessimistically, fidgeting with his hands again and staring down. "Maybe I shouldn't have come after all."

Tara looked a bit worried too, but she still tried to reassure the nervous mutant. "Now now, no need to jump to conclusions." she said. "Maybe Kim's right. We do have a big group and most of their tables sit four at the max."

Angie patted Rocksteady on the arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing." she said calmly.

Unfortunately, they were all about to find out that it was most certainly something. Barely three minutes later the server returned to the front desk with a large somewhat tall overweight man in tow behind him, obviously the owner of the restaurant. The large man took one examining look at Rocksteady, scanning him from head to foot with his eyes, and then nodded, scowling slightly. He turned to Kim and Hiro, who were standing at the head of the group, and spoke. "I'm very sorry but I am afraid we are unable to accommodate your party. We must kindly ask you to please leave."

Pam looked around the room, not comprehending. "What are you talking about? There are plenty of empty tables right now." she stated. "We can just push a couple of them together, it's no big deal."

"Honey, I don't think that's what he meant." Richard said, a noticeable testiness coming into his voice as he stared at the owner, daring him to make his meaning clear.

The owner didn't flinch, but stared back at the group with solid resolve. He turned his gaze and looked Rocksteady straight in the eye. "I'm sorry, but we don't serve people like him here." he stated, nodding towards Rocksteady. "Mutants aren't welcome in this establishment. If the rest of you want to eat, that's fine, but he'll have to leave."

Rocksteady felt so shocked it was like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Of course he shouldn't have been surprised to encounter something like this, he'd been paranoid about it from the first day he and Bebop started hanging with Tyler, but to be faced with it so blatantly without warning like this was still a blow. Rocksteady started to feel the blood in his veins heat up. Who did this little twerp of a man think he was, telling him he couldn't eat in the guy's restaurant just because he was a mutant? The man looked back at Rocksteady defiantly, probably assuming that there was no way the Rhino could start anything with so many people around. Well he was about to get a surprise. Slowly all restraints and thoughts of consequences began to leak out of Rocksteady's head as he clenched his hands into fists and prepared himself. He was going to knock this guy's block into next week, and then maybe he'd bring Bebop back later and trash the place just for extra kicks. No way could he get away with this! Rocksteady bared his teeth, and prepared to raise his fist, not even paying attention to the humans standing around him. This guy was toast! And then...something unthinkable happened.

Richard suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the owner by his collar, jerking him forward, right up to his own face. Rocksteady was so surprised that someone else moved before him that he relaxed his fists and took a step back, staring at Richard and the owner in surprise. "I hope I really didn't just hear what I thought I heard." Richard growled, looking like he wanted to punch the owner's lights out just as much as Rocksteady did. "I must have heard you wrong. In this day and age no one would be that stupid...would they?" he asked pointedly, glaring at the man in front of him.

The owner wrenched himself out of Richard's grip and stumbled backward, bumping into the welcome desk. He regained his balance and turned his gaze back to the group. "I could have you arrested for assault for that." he spat at Richard. "As a private business we have the right to refuse service to anyone we choose. And we choose not to serve mutants."

Richard took a threatening step towards the man, raising a fist. "If you really want me to assault you I could do it." he said, as Pam grabbed his shoulder to pull him back.

"Take it easy Richard, it's not worth going to jail over a jerk like this." Pam said practically.

Tara walked to the front of the group, giving the owner an icy cold stare. "There was a time when people like you would have refused to let me eat in a restaurant. But then we made laws to deal with that kind of junk. If we wanted we could probably sue you."

The owner sneered back at her. "Mutants ain't got rights like that in the law."

"Maybe not now, not technically." Tara shot back. "But you can bet they will one day." She snorted in disgust and turned away. "People like you make me sick!"

"Yeah dude, totally not cool." Hiro stated. "Rocksteady's no different than anyone else here, even if he does look like a gnarly animal."

Rocksteady watched his human companions, completely flabbergasted. They were actually standing up for him, defending him? Why were they doing this for someone they didn't even know? He couldn't understand it. While he might have imagined Tyler or Angie standing up for him, he never in a million years would have expected the rest of Angie's friends to do the same. He'd only met them twenty minutes ago! On top of that, Rocksteady even heard a few restaurant patrons cheer at Tara's comment.

"You go girl!" someone called from the back of the restaurant.

"That's telling him. People fought too hard in the past to put up with that nonsense now!" shouted another from the bar.

"Come on man, just let the guy eat." a man added, sitting at a table to their immediate right.

The owner looked over the restaurant at the now half a dozen customers staring him down reproachfully. "I guess you people want to be kicked out next huh?" he asked, gritting his teeth in anger. He turned back to Angie's group and stared them down, crossing his arms angrily. "I've said all I'm gonna say about this. No mutants allowed. He can either leave peacefully, or I'll have to call the cops. It's well within my rights." he stated, daring them to talk back.

Rocksteady felt his anger returning. He prepared to raise his fist again until he saw Angie step forward. She gave the owner an incredibly chilly reproachful look as she spoke. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You've just lost perfectly good paying customers, and you can bet I'll be telling everyone else I know not to eat here either. When word gets around, you're probably going to lose a lot of business unless you change your ways." Finishing her rebuke, Angie turned to the group and looked at them resolutely. "Come on guys, let's blow this dump and get our dinner elsewhere."

"Don't have to ask me twice!" Richard declared, and he and Pam both nodded.

"I'm not touching this place again with a twenty foot pole." Tara said angrily.

"Wasn't really in the mood for deli food anyway." Patrick added as he turned.

Rocksteady continued to look at his companions with surprise, not even able to move or react. Was this really happening? He finally snapped back to reality when he felt Angie put a hand gently on his arm and turn him in the direction of the door. "Let's get out of here Rocksteady. It's not worth even wasting our time with this place." she stated, looking at him with a knowing and kind gaze.

Rocksteady breathed in sharply, realizing at once that Angie must have known or suspected that he was on the verge of doing something aggressive, and instantly felt a pang of guilt for the way he let his temper flair up, even for a brief moment. "You're right..." he said, and then looked over his shoulder, giving the owner a reproachful glare. "Dis place aint worth nuttin." He turned back and smiled at Angie as they began to leave.

The group of friends moved together towards the door. All of them that is, except one. Kim stood rigidly by the welcome desk, starring at the back of her boyfriend's head with pleading eyes. The group stopped and turned around to look at her. "You coming babe?" asked Hiro.

Kim wrung her hands and looked very embarrassed but also determined. "Um...I did kind of have my heart set on their crunchy chicken salad." She said finally.

The group looked at the girl, dumbfounded. "Kim, you can't be serious" said Pam.

"You do know what's going on here right?" asked Patrick.

Kim dropped her eyes, looking a bit ashamed, but held her ground. "Yeah I know. I get what's going on, I guess. But...I've been dreaming about that salad all day. No one else makes them as good as this place." she said.

"You guess you know what's going on?" Angie said with surprise and hurt. "Kim, I can't believe you. What if it had been Tara or Hiro that they refused to sit? You know that that would be wrong right!?" she asked.

Kim looked even more embarrassed. "Yeah I know. Just...I'm sorry guys." she said, still not moving.

Anger flashed in Tara's eyes as she stepped towards the other girl, glaring daggers into her. "You and I have never gotten along all that well Kim, but this is a new low even for you. I can't believe you're going to choose salad over standing up for what's right." She spat out.

Kim frowned slightly and shook her head. "We only just met him tonight." she stated.

Tara anger flared up and she took a step towards the other girl, looking like she was ready to slap her. Angie jumped forward and grabbed her arm before she could swing. "You spoiled little princess!" Tara yelled, struggling against Angie. "Even if you just met the guy, you do realize that Angie cares about him don't you? That should at least matter to you, if you call yourself her friend!"

"Tara calm down, it's ok." Angie said, holding onto her friend's arm. "We don't need to start another scene."

"I'm calling the cops, you people are all insane!" shouted the owner, backing away from the scene and reaching for the phone on the front desk.

"You shut up!" Tara yelled at him.

"Tara get a grip." Patrick said firmly, coming up behind the girl and putting a hand on her other shoulder.

Tara stopped struggling and closed her eyes, taking a long deep breath. She let it out and opened her eyes, the former burning anger no longer present. "You're right Puddy. I'm better than this. Let's leave miss princess here to her salad and go find somewhere else to hang out." she stated turning away.

Hiro looked at the group and then to his girlfriend, looking torn. Finally he sighed and took a step back towards his girl. "I'm really sorry guys. She can be pretty stubborn sometimes. I should stay and keep an eye on her."

"We understand." said Richard, looking like he didn't *really* fully understand.

Hiro looked at Rocksteady apologetically. "Sorry dude. She doesn't really mean it, she's just hungry. I think you seem like a pretty cool guy, it sucks how they're treating you; I wish we really could have all eaten together. I'll see you around." he said.

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah, I guess I understand. Tanks." he said, and then after a moment offered his hand. Hiro smiled back and shook it before turning to join his girlfriend.

Richard and Pam turned and opened the door to the outside. Kim watched her friends leave with a look of half shame and half confusion on her face. "I'm sorry guys really..." she said, and it sounded like she really was.

Angie stopped in the doorway, the last one still inside. She looked back at her friend with a mixture of hurt and disappointment. "I'm surprised Kim, I really am. I know you're better than this." she paused, looking a bit anguished and torn. "I...I think you should hold off on calling me for a few days. I'll let you know when I'm ready to talk again. See you." she said. And with that, Angie turned and walked out the door, joining her friends on the sidewalk, and leaving Kim and Hiro behind in the restaurant.

* * *

The five humans and one mutant mingled on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, not really knowing what to do next.

Patrick pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, that was certainly an interesting experience." He stated, staring back at the restaurant entrance as if it was some kind of specimen he was studying.

Richard turned around and glared at the establishment. "I just can't believe that guy! I should go right back in there and punch his lights out." he yelled raising his fist.

"Don't even think about it. I don't really fancy getting arrested tonight." Pam said practically, grabbing onto Richard's arm.

Richard visibly calmed down and unclenched his fist. "Yeah I know." he said reluctantly. "But that guy deserves it!" he added on, casting another blazing look at the restaurant door.

"I bet if the Ninja Turtles had walked through the door he wouldn't have kicked THEM out." said Patrick. "Everybody loves celebrities."

Rocksteady looked at the anger Richard was displaying and recalled his own near flare up back inside. The thought of it now brought a surprising amount of regret to Rocksteady, a feeling that was almost completely foreign to the mutant. He was so used to using violence to solve his problems that it was always the first thing he instinctively turned to, even though Tyler was always telling him and Bebop to "be the bigger mutant" when it came to stuff like that. If his companions hadn't spoken up when they did, Rocksteady realized that he might have torn that guy apart without hesitation and right in front of Angie too. He sighed and looked at the other humans, feeling ashamed of his earlier rage. "You know, if you guys hadn't did what ya did, I probably woulda knocked dat guy's block off." He admitted. He rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment. "For a minute I was so mad I couldn't see straight. Glad I wasn't dere all by myself."

Richard nodded in sympathy. "Yeah, I understand how you feel. But it's a good thing you controlled yourself Rocksteady." He said.

"Yeah. It wouldn't have done any good to hit that guy." Tara said. "It wouldn't have changed his mind about Mutants. Would have probably just made him hate you more." she concluded. She looked up at the mutant and smiled gently. "You did good Rocksteady."

"I'm really sorry guys…"Rocksteady said glumly, squeezing his hands together nervously. "I didn't mean to mess up your dinnah like dat. I wish I hadn't come at all"

Tara focused her gaze at the mutant and Rocksteady was surprised to see reproach in her eyes. "Uh-uh! Don't you start blaming yourself for this!" She stated, staring him straight in the eyes. "It was not your fault, Rocksteady." She said forcefully. "That guy in there was just a huge jerk, with no class or common decency at all. Don't even waste the energy worrying about him."

"Yeah, you didn't do anything wrong. You have nothing to feel bad about" Pam added.

"It's just…if I hadn't decided to come…" Rocksteady began.

"Yeah, maybe we'd have eaten at the restaurant then." Tara interrupted. "But we would have been poorer for it. We're all glad you came." She finished, smiling. Richard, Pam, and Patrick all nodded their heads too.

Rocksteady felt a warmth in his chest start to grow. Once again he was surprised nearly to the point of speechlessness. "T…tanks guys. I…" he looked down at his hands, feeling embarrassed. "I nevah had anyone stand up for me like dat before, except Bebop. I weren't really expectin it." He looked the others in the eyes. "It was really cool of you." He said sincerely.

Patrick sniffed a bit dismissively. "Any decent person would have done the same thing." He said.

"You must have had pretty crummy friends in the past, besides the one." Tara replied.

Rocksteady nodded his head and cast his eyes down sadly. "I…really nevah had any friends other than Bebop and now Tyler." He said.

Angie looked at him sideways. "Hey what am I, chopped liver?' she asked in feigned annoyance, bopping him lightly on the arm.

Tara smiled and looked at the two of them slyly. "You know that's different Angela. You're not a "friend", you're the girl he *likes*." She said teasingly, causing Rocksteady to blush and rub the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well, if you didn't have friends before, you've got some now." Richard said resolutely.

Rocksteady looked at Richard, feeling surprised all over again. "Really?" he asked.

"Of course! Don't look so shocked." Richard stated, walking up and briefly patting the mutant on his shoulder. "We might have only just met you, but you seem like a decent guy so far. Why wouldn't we be your friends?"

"Yeah! Anyone's whose a friend of Angie's is a friend of ours." Tara stated.

Angie looked at her skeptically. "Even Kim?" she asked.

Tara rolled her eyes in resignation. "Yeah. Even Kim. Though I don't really see why you like her in the first place, as tonight could easily demonstrate."

"Oh, give her a bit of slack Tara. She'll come around." Pam said optimistically.

Patrick stepped forward into the center of the group, raising his hand like a kid in school. "I hate to derail the topic of conversation, but are we ever going to go find somewhere else to eat?" he asked. "I'm still starving." he finished, and as if to confirm the statement, his stomach growled. Everyone around the group laughed, and the tension broke.

Tara walked up next to Patrick and put her arm around his shoulder. "Don't lie, I know you love derailing conversations as much as any of us, Puddy" she said jokingly. "But that's true, where should we head now?" she asked the group.

Rocksteady had an idea, but for a moment he hesitated to bring it up. It had been his presence that caused the problem they'd just experienced. What if they didn't want to listen to his suggestion? But after a moment of inner turmoil, he finally decided to give it a try. He raised his hand almost timidly, and smiled nervously. "Um...I got an idea." he said. The others all turned to look at him, and he felt a sharp jolt of fear in his chest. Swallowing loudly, he pushed forward. "Angie said earlier dat we might walk in da park after dinnah, so why don't we just go dere now? Dere are some great street food venders in the area near here; I tink they would still be open dis time." He finished, holding his breath, waiting for their reaction.

Tara smiled warmly. "That's a great idea Rocksteady!" she said with enthusiasm, and all the others nodded. Rocksteady grinned back at her, happy that his idea had been accepted.

"I could definitely go for a hotdog." Patrick added, rubbing his belly.

Richard nodded and put an arm around Pam as he face forward resolutely. "Then it's decided. To the park!" he declared.

The group began to walk down the sidewalk towards the nearest park entrance when Pam caught sight of something interesting. "Hey guys look." she said, turning around. "Seems we weren't the only ones that couldn't put up with that guy's bull."

Rocksteady and the humans turned around to see a rather large group of people exiting the restaurant behind them. It was mostly couples and groups of three, not related to each other, but obviously all leaving under the same circumstances, if the looks of disgust and annoyance on their faces were any indication. Upon catching sight of Rocksteady and the humans, several of the exiting people smiled and waved or flashed thumbs up signs, one guy even yelled out an enthusiastic "Hang in there buddy, we're on your side!" straight at Rocksteady.

Tara smiled and nudged Rocksteady's elbow. "See? There are more decent people out there than you might think." she said to him.

Rocksteady nodded and smiled, once again feeling that warm gentle glow rise up in his chest. Even complete strangers were affected by what that guy had said to him. He never would have imagined it. He couldn't wait to tell Bebop and Tyler what had happened tonight. And the date wasn't even over yet!

Rocksteady turned back with the group and they began walking towards the park; all of them returning to a rhythm of light conversation as they went. Angie and Rocksteady fell into step side by side at the back of the group. Angie looked up at Rocksteady and smiled sweetly, and the mutant smiled back shyly, blushing slightly again. A brief wordless moment passed between them as their eyes met. Slowly, Angie reached out and took Rocksteady's right hand in her left. The mutant's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and then he grinned dopely at her and closed his hand around hers, squeezing gently. After a moment they both opened their hands slightly and then closed them again, interlocking fingers, and they continued like that, hand-in-hand. It was a little strange feeling, what with Rocksteady only having four digits to her five so her hand didn't really perfectly "fit", but neither of them minded. Rocksteady's heart was beating a mile a minute, and he was taking in every detail of the situation; the feel of her skin against his, the gentleness of her touch, the smell of her hair and perfume right beside him. He wondered if it was possible for someone's heart to explode from excitement. He wished that this night would never end. He had a girl who he liked and who seemed to like him back, and now brand new friends on top of it.

These thoughts suddenly shot a wave of cold chills down Rocksteady's spine. Yeah, he had new friends and maybe a girlfriend, but none of them yet knew the truth about who he really was. None of them knew the REAL Rocksteady. The thief, the brawler, thug to a super villain. If they did...would any of them have bothered to defend him back there? Would any of them still want to be his friends?

Rocksteady shivered involuntarily and squeezed Angie's hand a bit too firmly. The girl looked up at him with concern. "Rocksteady, are you ok?" She asked, keeping her voice down as to not attract the attention of the others.

"Uh...yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit cold." He said, but he really wasn't fine at all. All the great things that had happened tonight, all the amazing new experiences that had occurred since he and Bebop had met and befriended Tyler, all that was balanced precariously on the edge of disaster. Meeting Tyler had opened up a whole new world for Rocksteady, but it could only last as long as the truth about him and Bebop stayed hidden. And who knew how long they could keep that up!?

The group continued to walk on towards their destination, talking and laughing together, all except Angie entirely oblivious to the fear and inner turmoil that afflicted one of their group. Fear and worry that refused to be ignored, no matter how much the mutant rhino tried.

* * *

-Another Chapter down ^^. And lol, the rhyming chapter title was totally a coincidence; this was originally chapter 6 before I started splitting up some of the earlier ones.-


	10. Chapter 9: Covers Blown

-9-

Covers Blown

"I have to admit Rocksteady, this was a great idea." Richard mumbled, his mouth half full of hamburger.

"Gee, tanks." the mutant replied, grinning as he finished off the last bite of his second chili dog.

They had managed to reach the food vendor's cart just in time; he had been getting ready to close for the evening when the five humans and one mutant had shown up to become his last customers of the day. Now the group sat on the grass in an open park clearing, chowing down on delicious authentic New York hotdogs and hamburgers.

"Boy you can really pack it away." commented Tara to the mutant, as she finished the last bite of her own burger.

Rocksteady chuckled lightly. "Heh. Dis aint nuttin'." he said, biting his 3rd chili dog in half with a single chomp.

"He's really not kidding either." Angie added, swallowing a mouthful of her own meal before continuing. "I've got to cook my portions twice as large whenever he and his friend are staying for dinner. They're bottomless pits, the both of them." She said, a bit of affection showing through in her voice. She reached out and patted Rocksteady on the knee, smiling at him.

Rocksteady smiled back and swallowed his current bite of hotdog. "Yep, I'm always hungry." he said. He was still on a bit of a "high" from the thrill of being able to pay for not only his three hotdogs but Angie's dinner as well. And since they'd eaten at a vendor instead of a restaurant he still had a lot of money left over. Maybe he'd suggest finding some dessert after this.

Patrick looked at the mutant like a scientist studying a specimen. "Obviously you're mutated human/animal hybrid physiology gives you an enhanced metabolism and increased appetite. Bet you need a lot of calories per day to keep that body of yours running."

Tara looked at Patrick and made a face. "Do you have to turn every observation into an encyclopedia entry, Puddy?" she asked in annoyance.

Rocksteady smiled and nodded. "Yeah, da boss is always complainin dat we eat too much. 'Specially lately. Says we're almost bankruptin him with all the food he has to buy to keep us fed."

Pam gave the mutant a curious, questioning look. "Wait, your boss buys your food for you?" she asked. "Awfully generous of him"

Rocksteady's heart rate quickened and he felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. He'd slipped up! He was a bouncer, he wouldn't be getting all his food from work. The mutant laughed and rubbed the back of his head, trying to sound casual. "Nah, nuttin like dat. I mean...he gives us a free dinnah at work, while we're on duty. And we usually eat too much is all." He explained.

Pam nodded. "Oh, I see. That makes sense." she said. Rocksteady discreetly let out a sigh of relief and nodded. That was close.

Richard craned his head up to see over Rocksteady's broad shoulders. He seemed to have caught site of something interesting. "Heads up guys." he said, a serious note in his voice. "Looks like we've got someone heading our way, and I can't tell if he's friendly or not."

Pam leaned to the side and peered down the hill. "Looks pretty big too. And a little strange" she said, nervousness showing in her voice.

Tara smiled. "Probably just some homeless guy looking for handouts. Usually harmless. But if he's not..." she looked at Rocksteady. "I'm sure Rocksteady could make him think twice about bothering us." she finished, smiling bit flirtatiously.

Rocksteady nodded and gave a thumbs up. "No problem." he said as he turned to see exactly who was approaching them. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw who it was.

Angie had turned around to look as well. "Hey isn't that...?" she began.

"Yeah, dat's Bebop" Rocksteady finished, not really sure what to think.

"That's your friend right?" Tara asked. "He's a mutant too?"

"Yeah, but he should be back at my place with Tyler" Angie explained. She turned and looked at Rocksteady curiously. "Did you tell him where we would be going?" she asked.

Rocksteady shook his head. "I didn' even know where we was going till we met up earlier." he said.

"Well he found you somehow" Richard said as he began to climb to his feet. "Guess you better see what he needs."

"Yeah..." Rocksteady said as he got up, followed by the others. For some reason, an unexplained feeling of dread was starting to grow in the pit of the mutant's stomach. Why would Bebop have tracked him down all this way? Was there some emergency? Rocksteady was distinctly aware that Patrick was staring holes through him again with his piercing hawk like eyes. What was that guy's problem? Shaking off the uneasy feeling, he turned to focus on his friend.

Bebop reached the group and then doubled over, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "I...finally...found you..." he gasped out between breaths. He stood up straight, still panting pretty heavily and looked at Rocksteady with annoyance. "I've been tryin…to get ahold of ya…for toity minutes!" he exclaimed with annoyance.

Pam looked at the new arrival with curiosity. "So this is your best friend you've been mentioning all night?" she asked, looking him over.

"Yep, dis is Bebop." Rocksteady explained to the group, over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye the mutant noticed Patrick's gaze narrow with focused scrutiny, but he didn't have the time to worry what was up with that weirdo. Rocksteady turned and approached his friend, feeling confused. " 'Course you couldn't reach me. I turned my communicator off." He explained to Bebop, pulling the small purple device out of his back pocket. "I told ya I would prolly do that, remember?" He asked.

Bebop nodded as his breathing finally began steadying. "Yeah, figured dat was it." He said as he pulled out his own communicator. The screen showed a green radar display with a glowing yellow dot right in the center. "Took me forevah to get the locator gizmo workin right on dis ting so I could come find ya." Bebop explained, flipping a switch to shut off the device.

Tara giggled and clapped her hands with delight. "You two have your own walkie-talkies? That's kinda cute." She said.

Rocksteady ignored the comment and looked at his friend with worry. "So what's da big emergency?" he asked, feeling anxiety begin to build in the pit of his stomach. It would have to be a pretty big deal for Bebop to come chasing after him like this

Angie put voice to Rocksteady's worry as she spoke up. "Did something happen to Tyler? Is he alright? You said you were going to stay with him." She said, her voice becoming higher and more anxious with each word.

Bebop raised his hands in a "calm down" gesture and shook his head, smiling. "No no, nuttin like dat! Tyler's fine, he's back at your place. Left him playin some video games." He pointed his thumb at Rocksteady. "I just came ta pick up dis lug here." He said.

Angie sighed with relief and shook her head. "Well that's good to here." She said.

Richard smiled and punched Rocksteady lightly on the arm. "Didn't know it was past your curfew already big guy." He said jokingly.

"It's not." Rocksteady said a bit curtly. He had been having such a good time with Angie and her friends and now they were being interrupted. He felt like a little kid being told it was time to come inside when he wasn't done playing yet. He looked at Bebop with un-masked annoyance. "So are you going to keep me waitin in suspense, or what? Spill it." He said testily.

Bebop looked back at him, his earlier demeanor completely changing. "It's da boss. He's callin us in for a mission. Wants us to go to some computoir factory place over by Wabash street." He explained. "We got to get back to the Technodrome now, we're already late because I had to come find you first." He finished.

Angie looked at Rocksteady with a confused expression. "What is he talking about Rocksteady?" she asked.

Rocksteady felt himself go cold all over. Being called back on duty by Shredder was bad enough, but had Bebop just lost his mind!? Had he completely forgotten their cover story!? The mutant glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the group and Angie, who were all staring at him and Bebop with confused and suspicious looks, especially Patrick. He felt Angie's questioning eyes boring into him and sweat begin to break out on his back and neck. He tugged at the collar of his shirt and tried to laugh casually, but it came out sounding extremely awkward. "Hey buddy, don't you mean we need to be getting to the club?" he asked, his voice cracking a bit. He gave his friend a quick panicked glare, pleading with him to catch on.

Bebop's body jerked, as if someone had just given him an electric shock. His mouth stretched into a nervous smile. "Uh, y…yeah pal, that's what I really meant. I..I was just jokin wit ya dere for a minute." He stuttered out nervously. He raised one hand and shifted up his shades, scratched under one eye as he shot Rocksteady a shameful apologetic glance. He let his glasses fall back down on his nose and quickly composed himself back into his usual confident demeanor. "Yeah, da boss wants us at da bar for an extra shift. Da udder two guys had to call in sick tonight." He explained, sounding entirely believable this time.

Rocksteady saw Angie visibly relax and breathed a sigh of relief for himself. Disaster averted. Patrick was still looking at him all funny, but the rest of the group seemed fine now.

Angie sighed and put her hands in her pockets. "I guess you'll be going straight to the bar from here right?" she asked, and Rockteady and Bebop both nodded. She turned to the rest of the group. "Guess I better head home to check in on Tyler" she said.

Richard smiled and patted Rocksteady on the shoulder. "Sorry to see you leave early, but I guess it can't be helped. Got to go when the boss calls if you want to keep your job, Am I right?" he said.

"Uh…yeah, dat's right." Rocksteady said. After a second of thought he offered his hand towards Richard. "It was nice meetin yous guys. Tanks for acceptin me." He said sincerely.

Richard took Rocksteady's hand and shook it firmly. "Back at you, big guy. You're welcome any time"

"That's right." Pam added

Tara smiled and winked. "As far as the Angie situation is concerned, you've got my vote so far" she added.

Rocksteady blushed slightly and glanced at Angie and then back to Tara. "Um…tanks." He said.

Bebop glanced at his wrist watch nervously and then back at his friend. "Come on pal, we're losing light." He stated

"I know, I know" Rocksteady replied with annoyance before turning to Angie. He smiled at her shyly. "Um…tanks for invitin me. See ya day after tomorrow." He said.

"Yep, see you then." Angie replied. "Tyler told me he already has the movie picked out for you guys to watch."

Rocksteady smiled and gave a thumbs up. He walked towards Bebop, preparing to leave.

And then everything went to hell.

"H…hey stop!" he heard Patrick say forcefully behind him. It sounded to Rocksteady like the guy was mad, but he couldn't be bothered with that now. They were already late for their mission, and getting later by the second. Rocksteady didn't stop. "I said STOP, both of you!" Patrick yelled again, with more conviction than before. Rocksteady shook his head and dismissed the request. What was that guy's problem anyway? He kept going and reached Bebop just as he heard Pam and Angie scream in surprise.

"Dude, what the hey!" Richard shouted, and Rocksteady heard the man stumble back several steps.

"Puddy where the heck did you get that, have you lost your mind, what are you doing?!" shouted Tara, sounding more angry than scared.

Bebop was facing the group and Rocksteady got a good look as his friend's facial expressions went from stark shock to anger and fear, in the span of a few seconds. Bebop reached up and grabbed his shades with both hands, pulling them up onto his head and squinting forward in the dimming light, his eyes filled with anxiety. Rocksteady felt his heart rate quicken in fear as he slowly turned around to see what had spooked Bebop so much and caused the others to react with such surprise and anger.

Rocksteady completed his turn and stared, uncomprehending. Patrick was now standing at the head of the group, staring at him and Bebop with blazing eyes; eyes filled with anger and hatred and even triumph. Clasped in his fist was a large powerful looking handgun and it was now pointed straight at Rocksteady's face. The rhino was staring down its soulless barrel, like an empty black eye. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't force anything out. He was in too much shock. What was going on? Behind him, Bebop recovered his composure enough to speak. "Dude, what's your deal?" he asked, fear palpable in his voice. Even for all their super-human strength and ability, neither Rocksteady or Bebop were bullet proof.

"Yeah, you better start explaining yourself right now!" Richard declared. He eyed Patrick like he was calculating when would be the best moment to tackle the man

Patrick stared ahead at them, his expression unchanging. "The real reason I came tonight was so I could be sure. Angie told me a lot about you Rocksteady; but I had to meet you for myself first, just in case I was wrong." He smiled sarcastically. "For a while there I thought I –had- made a mistake. Even though you were a mutant Rhino you didn't act like what I expected. You were polite and nice and calm and appeared in every way to be close to normal. And the different clothes worked to your advantage. I thought in the end you must just be some other mutant. But…" The smile dropped off his face and he motioned the gun towards Bebop. "Your friend there gave it all away. Even before he said "Mission" and "Technodrome". As soon as I saw him I knew for sure that I was right all along." He finished, tightening his grip on the gun and gritting his teeth.

Angie looked back and forth between Patrick and the mutants, completely confused. "Patrick, you're not making any sense. What are you talking about?" she asked, almost pleading.

Patrick looked at Angie briefly and then back to the mutants, his expression stony. "They've been lying to you Angie. They're not bouncers in some club downtown; they don't have any kind of legitimate job." He said. With his left hand he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out two pieces of paper. He tossed the pages down on the grass in front of the group, where everyone could see. "They're not anyone normal or trustworthy. They're both criminals. They work for the Shredder and Krang" he finished.

In that moment it felt to Rocksteady like his heart had stopped completely. Laying on the ground at their feet, for everyone to see, were printouts of his and Bebop's old wanted posters, created by the police about a year after they'd mutated. Patrick had found them somewhere. Rocksteady looked up from the posters to the faces of Angie and the group, feeling himself near panic. His brain didn't seem to be functioning correctly anymore; he couldn't think of a single thing to do or say. It was all over! Everything!

Bebop smiled casually and let his shades fall back over his face, hiding his nervous gaze. "Nice fakes, buddy, but you'll have ta do bettah dan dat." He said confidently.

For a brief moment Rocksteady's spirits lifted. Maybe Bebop could get them out of this after all. But his hopes were dashed only a moment later. Patrick smiled back at them, but the expression held no warmth whatsoever. "How would I have even faked something like this if I'd never met you before?" he asked, glancing around at the other humans to make sure they were all paying attention. "And I've got plenty more proof on top of this that I can show if that's what it takes." He threatened. "You want to see newspaper articles? I've got em. Clips from Channel 6 news? All saved on my camcorder." He glared at the mutants and shook his head. "You can't talk your way out of this one, so don't even try."

Bebop shut his mouth and glared back at Patrick. Rocksteady glanced over the faces of his new friends, seeing distrust and anger and even fear in the faces that only a few moments ago had been so warm and welcoming to him. "Come on guys…this..this is…" he stuttered out.

Bebop put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder. "Don't bother pal, it's over." He said gravely. The mutant turned back to Patrick and shrugged. "Alright you got us. So what if we do woik for Shreddah?" He said defiantly.

A gasp went up through the humans, and Rocksteady saw their expressions radically change, going from simple mistrust to outright horror and anger. But Angie was the worst of all; the expression on her face was one of incredible betrayal and hurt. Seeing her look at him with those eyes was like a knife in Rocksteady's chest; for a moment it felt like he couldn't breathe and he wondered if he might pass out.

Richard looked at them with disgust and anger. "I can't believe you work for someone like Shredder." He stated.

"Oh believe it." Patrick said. "They do all his dirty work. Stealing, kidnapping, destruction of property, the carrying out of evil plots, they're jacks of all trades." He finished sarcastically.

Tara stepped forward, anger boiling in her eyes. "How could you do anything for a mad man like that?" she asked, starring straight at Rocksteady. "You don't seem like a bad guy, so what's the deal?"

"The deal is that you haven't seen the real them yet, Tara." Patrick said. "These two are ruthless violent thugs, nothing more."

"No! Dat aint right!" Rocksteady began, his voice cracking. "We just…we just…" He looked from Tara to Bebop with panic in his eyes. He opened his mouth again to continue but his mind felt like a complete blank.

Bebop looked at his friend with sympathy and then turned back to Tara, answering for him. "Da boss feeds us and gives us a place to live." He explained simply. "We don't have anywhere else to go. We was homeless before."

Patrick narrowed his eyes at the mutant. "And you think that makes it ok to be a criminal?" he asked angrily. "You were down on your luck so you thought it would be just fine to work for a dangerous terrorist and his alien dictator partner? You think it's ok to steal and break stuff and hurt people just because of that!?"

Bebop grimaced angrily. "HEY! We don't hoit people!" he shot back, his voice rising.

Rocksteady nodded, and felt a little bit of hope return. "Yeah, dat's right!" he stated, almost smiling. "We've nevah shot or beat up any normal person dah whole time we've been working for da boss. You can check da records." He said feeling a bit victorious for a moment.

Bebop nodded in agreement. "Whenevah we break into a joint, if dey have any guards or police, we usually just tie em up and stick em in a closet." He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe dey get a bit roughed up, but dat's it. We aint moiderers." He finished.

Patrick glared at them, anger flaring in his eyes, hotter than before. "Yeah, the network censors won't allow it, isn't that right?" he asked sarcastically. Suddenly the man took three steps forward and shoved the barrel of the gun right up against Rocksteady's chest. "How stupid are you two really!? I should shoot you right now!" he shouted. Rocksteady winced as Patrick jammed the gun into his chest and tried to take a step back. Patrick gave the mutant a glare that could turn blood to ice. "Don't move Rocksteady, unless you want a bullet in your lung. Just stay right there." He growled through gritted teeth. Rocksteady stared back at him in stark terror and tried his best to freeze. Patrick looked from the terrified Rhino over to Bebop, pure disgust playing out on his face. "What, do you guys want a medal or something? So you don't go out of your way to harm civilians or cops? What about the Turtles? Aren't you always trying to kill them? And what about their friends, the people at Channel 6 news, and others? How many times have you helped Shredder put them in elaborate death traps, to get to the Turtles or just to get them out of the way?" He asked.

Bebop's face fell and he looked a bit embarrassed, like a kid caught in a lie. "Um, yeah I guess we do try ta kill dose toitles a lot." He admitted. "But dat's our job. We're just followin orders"

"Yeah" Rocksteady said, nodding in agreement. "It's just our job!"

Rocksteady saw rage and hate boil in Patrick's eyes just before the man swung his arm and slammed his gun into the left side of the Rhino's snout. Patrick wasn't strong enough to knock the mutant over or even make him stagger, but Rocksteady still felt blazing pain shoot up the side of his face, alternating with tingling numbness. His hand went instantly to his snout and he took a step back, feeling shocked. A thin trickle of blood began to drip from Rocksteady's left nostril. Bebop looked ready to rush forward and rip Patrick's head off, and the rest of the group looked almost as stunned. Patrick glared at the mutant and raised the gun again. "You think that just because "it's your job", that it somehow absolves you of responsibility for your actions?" he asked, the new calm in his voice even scarier than the previous anger. "How…stupid…ARE…YOU…?" he enunciated, grimacing with each word.

Bebop looked about ready to blow his stack, gun or no gun. The warthog clenched his fists in anger and glared towards Patrick like he was getting ready to charge. "I don't know what dat word you used means, but you can't keep talkin to us like dis, and you can't hit my buddy and get away wit it!" he shouted.

Patrick shifted the gun and pointed it at Bebop instead. "Just try me." He threatened. Bebop glowered at the gun and took a step back. Patrick stepped back as well, to better cover both of the mutants. He looked at both of them like an impatient school teacher with a particular slow child. "It means, just because someone orders you to do something wrong, it doesn't make it ok to do it. Wrong is wrong, no matter if it's your "job" as you put it."

Bebop snorted and threw up his hands in exasperation. "Hey man, what's your deal? You pull a gun on us and complain about how we live our lives, like you tink you're our mother or somethin. I don't even knows you, and Rocksteady just met you tonight. Why do you hate us so much? " he asked.

Tara looked at Patrick with extreme worry in her eyes. "Yeah Puddy what's going on? You're scaring me. What's gotten into you?"

Patrick snorted derisively and motioned the gun at Rocksteady. "The fact that he lied to all of us, that he and his friend have been lying to Angie all this time, isn't reason enough to be mad?" he asked defensively.

Richard looked at Patrick sternly. "That may be the case, but don't you think pulling a gun is a little extreme?" he asked. "We know you Puddy. There's more to this than what you've already said, isn't there?"

Patrick looked at his friends and then back at the mutants, an expression of disgust twisting across his face. "These two just make me sick. Acting like nothing is their fault. Acting like everything's ok because they had hard lives before, and they don't go out of their way to hurt people." He took a step back towards the mutants, tightening his grip on the gun. "Let me ask you two something. You say that you don't hurt normal people, but what about all the dangerous schemes Shredder has pulled in the past? How many people do you think were hurt or killed that time you guys unleashed a giant ice monster on the city!? Or how many people would have been killed that time Shredder brainwashed everyone with pirate radio and ordered them to sail into a black hole?" His voice rose higher and his eyes flashed with rage as he continued. "How many people do you think you've hurt or killed over the years that you didn't even know about, people hurt by the collateral damage of all your battles? You say you never harm anyone normal, well WHAT ABOUT MY BROTHER!?" He finished, screaming out the last words.

A stunned silence fell across the group as the words sank in. Everyone was staring at Patrick now with a mix of shock, disbelief, and horror on their faces. Tara suddenly gasped and raised her hands to her mouth, looking between Patrick and the mutants with donning understanding on her face. Pam shook her head and Rocksteady saw tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Oh my gosh, no…" she stuttered.

But worst of all was the look on Angie's face. Rocksteady watched her expression transition from shock and horror to a final understanding and a sudden cold anger, aimed directly at him. He felt confusion and fear stab into his heart. "Wh…what is he talkin about!? What did we do?" he asked, afraid to know the answer, but needing to anyway. He glanced and Bebop, who raised his glasses to meet Rocksteady's eyes; the mutant saw no comprehension in his friend's gaze, just the same anxiety and confusion he felt in his own heart. He looked over the faces of the humans around him, seeing nothing but growing distrust and cold anger in their expressions, and felt the dread building inside him. He finally stopped on Patrick, meeting his eyes, not flinching away for the first time, and he waited for the man to reveal the truth.

Patrick gave a small sardonic smile and shook his head. "Yeah, I guess you probably wouldn't remember. For me it was the day I almost lost my brother, but for you it was probably just Tuesday." He reached into his coat again and pulled out a folded newspaper clipping. He shook the paper open and held it up for the mutants to see. "Does this headline ring any bells?" he asked.

Rocksteady squinted in the dying light and read the headline. "Foot Clan Bank Robbery Foiled by Turtles" it said, in large bold letters. The mutant racked his brain for a moment and then the light bulb went on in his head. "Oh yeah, I remember dat." He said. It had been about six months ago. Shredder and Krang had tasked them with breaking into a safety deposit box inside a branch of the New York City Bank, to steal some ultra rare gemstone they needed for some reason or another. The mission had gone wrong very quickly; the mutants had been unable to remember WHICH box they were supposed to rob and before they could finish checking them all, the turtles had shown up and driven them off. But…Rocksteady scratched his head in puzzlement. "I don't remember us hurting nobody dat day, honest!" he finally stated sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

Bebop nodded along. "Yeah, we just tied up da guards, and then later had our fight with da toitles." He clarified.

Patrick's expression hardened again, and Rocksteady saw Richard, Tara and Angie's eyes all widened in surprise. Pam looked at Rocksteady with an expression of half disbelief. "So…you two really were there?" she asked

"Yup, dat was us." Rocksteady confirmed. He looked from face to face, holding his breath as he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"I can't believe it…" Richard said, shaking his head with sad disgust.

Bebop scowled at the group and then glared at Patrick. "What!?" he asked with annoyance. "Are you gonna tell us what you tink we did or not?"

The anger flashed up in Patrick's eyes again. "This is exactly what I've been talking about. All you two can see is what is right in front of you; your own actions and the immediate consequences. You don't give a single thought to the larger effects of your behavior, the consequences that you don't always see."

Bebop scowled back at the man. "What are you babbling about? What larger effects!?" he asked indignantly.

The side of Patrick's mouth twitched down in a grimace of hate and his eyes burned with rage. For a moment Rocksteady thought the man was about to shoot them, and panic knifed through his system. But after a moment Patrick visibly got himself under control, and the mutant breathed a sigh of relief. "Bebop, don't provoke him!" Rocksteady pleaded, throwing the other mutant a look of panic.

Bebop sniffed and crossed his arms. "Don't be a wimp Rocksteady. Dis guy don't scare me none."

Patrick gritted his teeth angrily but continued on more calmly. "I'll tell you exactly what I mean." He began. Rocksteady braced himself. "You say you didn't deliberately hurt anyone, and that is true, going by the newspaper article and the channel 6 coverage. But I'm sure you two remember all the destruction you caused during your fight with the Turtles, right?" He asked.

Rocksteady nodded and smiled, despite himself. "Yeah, we really trashed dat place." He said with a touch of pride.

Patrick glared angrily, peeved by the mutant's obvious boasting. "Well then maybe you remember that during the fight your stray laser blasts blew away several support columns in the north-east corner of the bank's lobby. Because those columns were destroyed, a portion of the bank's second story collapsed down into the lobby below." Patrick fixed the mutant's with his cold enraged stare. "Seven bank employees were badly injured in the collapse. Including my brother, who was buried under rubble for nearly four hours before being rescued. He suffered severe injury to his nerves and spinal cord in the fall." Patrick held eye contact with Rocksteady, unwavering, and for the first time Rocksteady saw not only anger and rage in the man's gaze but also sorrow and heartache. There were tears in the corner of Patrick's eyes! "Because of you two mutants, my brother may never walk again. So don't you dare tell me you "don't hurt people"" Patrick finished, sounding completely exhausted. The fire and anger had gone out of him, leaving behind only exhaustion and sadness. His final statement hung in the air with a sense of finality.

Rocksteady staggered and nearly fell on his knees. His legs had suddenly turned to jelly and it felt like he had just been slugged in the stomach with a sledgehammer. All the air was gone from his lungs, he could barely breath. He desperately looked over the faces of the humans, hoping to see some indication that what Patrick had said was a lie. But all he saw was confirmation. "N…No. Dat's not true…" he stuttered weakly.

Patrick glared back at him, a new spark of passion erupting in his eyes. "You think I'm lying about this? Do I have to show you the hospital bills too?" he asked furiously.

Tara nodded her head. "It's true Rocksteady. His brother was there. Patrick was out of school for a few weeks having to take care of things; took him forever to catch up with his work afterwards. He's not lying."

Angie looked at Rocksteady, and the mutant was shocked to see tears in the corner of her eyes. "I…can't believe it really was you two who did that…" she said, and her face conveyed such sadness, anger, and acute disappointment that it stabbed Rocksteady straight to the center of his being.

The truth hit Rocksteady like a speeding semi-truck, right to the face. He felt light headed and woozy, and wondered if it was possible for someone to have a heart attack just from pure shock. Bebop noticed his friend's unsteady balance and stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder to steady him. "Are you ok pal?" he asked with concern.

Rocksteady's head was swimming, his thoughts running a million miles per hour, going into overdrive. It felt like his entire world was shattering. They'd really almost killed someone other than the Turtles? And if it had happened once like that, how many other times had there been? Rocksteady thought of all the countless battles he and Bebop had had with the Turtles over the years. How many other times? How many other people? Rocksteady looked up and fixed his gaze on Patrick, finally understanding all the hate and pain he saw in the other man's eyes, all of it directed at him and Bebop.

Everything Patrick had said about them was right. They never thought about what would happen if one of Shredder and Krang's many plans actually succeeded; they just followed their orders and tried not to mess up. Of course they knew people would probably be hurt by Shredder's actions, but it was never a big deal; they were just "people" in the abstract, a statistic, nothing more. No one they actually knew or cared about, no one they would really have to see. But this was different. The consequences were right here in front of him, staring him in the face and holding a gun. They had done this. They had hurt one of Angie's friends. It was their actions that were the cause of the disappointment and anger Rocksteady now saw in the eyes of the girl he had come to care about. It was his worst nightmares come true.

"I…I…" Rocksteady started, not even knowing what he could possibly say. He swallowed and paused for a moment, trying to get his feelings straight. He's brain still felt foggy and unresponsive. "I'm…I'm…I'm sorry!" He finally blurted out. "We was just doin our job. Dat's all we've ever been doin." He said meekly.

Bebop growled and looked at his friend disapprovingly. "Don't apologize to him Rocksteady. He's just some crazy joik with a gun." The mutant looked at Patrick and gave him a dismissive shrug. "Your brudder gettin hurt sucks man, but accidents happen. We can't control every little ting dat gets blowed up during a battle. If you're mad at us, you should be mad at dem Toitles too. Can't have a fight witout two sides."

Patrick laughed sarcastically. "That response doesn't surprise me in the least." Patrick looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group, motioning towards the mutants with his gun. "You understand their true colors now, don't you? Common thugs, working for an uncommon madman. Stealing, fighting, destroying, and no thought for anyone else. They'll always have some excuse for their actions. They're job, they're life, fate, whatever. It's never their fault." He lowered the gun, pointing it at the ground for the first time, and looked at them with satisfaction. "That is who Bebop and Rocksteady really are." He stated, like a lawyer wrapping up his case.

Bebop gritted his teeth in anger. "Are you done lecturin us yet? If you're gonna shoot us den hurry it up already." He stated.

Patrick shook his head. "I'm not going to shoot you. I just needed a way to force you to show your true nature." He looked back at his friends. "I had to expose the truth for the sake and the safety of my friends." He fixed the mutants with his stony death glare. "But I am going to call the Turtles' emergency hotline and report your planned robbery of the computer factory. If you've got any sense in your heads, you'll just stay away from that place tonight." He raised the gun again and pointed it at the mutants. "Now both of you get out of here, before I change my mind about the shooting thing."

"Don't have to tell us twice." Bebop said. He put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder and began to pull him away. "Come on Rocksteady, let's blow dis place."

"Wait!" Rocksteady's heart skipped a beat as Angie spoke. The girl approached the two mutants, the expression on her face almost unreadable.

"Angie…" Rocksteady said as he looked at her. For a moment a tiny glimmer of hope was reborn in his heart. Maybe things weren't as hopeless as they seemed. "Angie I…" he began.

Angie raised her right hand and slapped Rocksteady across the face, right on the same spot where Patrick had hit him before. Physically it didn't hurt as much as before, but to Rocksteady it was as if Angie had just shattered his heart with one single blow. He staggered back into Bebop, feeling completely devastated. Angie stared back at him, her eyes filled with righteous anger and hurt. "You lied to me…about everything!" she said. "I trusted you, was even starting to care about you…and then this!? Do you have any idea how much danger you put Tyler in, just by being around him!? And who knows what shady influence you've had on him by now!" She gritted her teeth and balled her hands up into fists. "Ugh! I can't believe I didn't figure it out for myself." She exclaimed forcefully, startling everyone, even Bebop and Patrick. She took a step towards the mutants, looking like she was ready to kill them, despite being half their size. "Just tell me "Why?". Why did you lie to me?" she asked.

Even Bebop seemed cowed by Angie's outburst this time. "Well…Tyler said…" he began, rubbing the back of his head.

Angie shot Bebop a death glare. "Don't you dare blame this on Tyler! He's a twelve year old boy. That makes him an idiot sometimes. You're both grown men, why don't you act like it!"

Rocksteady looked at Angie, his eyes conveying the pain and heartbreak he was currently struggling with inside. "We just…we tought dat if you knew da truth about us, you wouldn't let us be friends with Tyler no more." He said finally.

Bebop nodded and raised his glasses. He looked at Angie with the first sincere expression of regret he'd had that night. "Yeah. We just didn' want to lose dat." He said humbly.

For a moment Angie's expression changed, and Rocksteady thought maybe they'd gotten through to her. But after an instant her eyes hardened and the cold anger returned to her face. "Well what's past is past. It's too late now." She looked them in the eyes. "I don't ever want to see you near me or my brother again. Don't even come into our neighborhood. If you do, I'll call the police."

Rocksteady's eyes grew wide with panic. "But…but…!" he stuttered, pleading with her to change her mind. "Angie, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Please…don't…" he cried. Looking across the faces of the humans in front of him, Rocksteady saw no sympathy at all.

Angie stared back at him with hard angry eyes. "Rocksteady, just saying your sorry isn't good enough. You're not a child."

"But...!" Rocksteady stuttered, his voice choking slightly.

"Goodbye…" She replied coldly, her words ringing with finality.

Rocksteady felt like his world was falling apart. Everything was destroyed. In one fell swoop he had lost not only the girl he liked and his new friends, but his friendship with Tyler as well. And..sorry wasn't good enough? Then what would be good enough!? He felt utterly lost and confused. As tears begin to form in his eyes, the Rhino turned away from the group and began to walk swiftly down the hill towards the edge of the clearing. "Hey, wait up pal!" Bebop called, but Rocksteady barely heard him. He just kept walking away, feeling overwhelming sorrow and heartache wash over him. He felt the uncontrollable urge to turn around, to give himself one last glance at the girl he cared about and the friends who had almost accepted him. But he knew if he did that he wouldn't be able to turn away again, so he willed himself with all his strength to keep going. He heard heavy footfall as his friend caught up to him, he felt Bebop's warm comforting hand fall on his shoulder as they walked, and soon the tears were silently cascading down his face. After a moment he couldn't take it anymore, and he started to run.

* * *

The group watched silently as the Rocksteady and Bebop retreated down the hill, breaking into a run just as they reached the trees at the edge of the clearing. As soon as the two mutants were out of sight, Patrick collapsed to his knees and let out a huge nervous sigh. The gun he'd been holding clattered to the grass next to him. "Man, I thought I was gonna die!" He exclaimed, all of his former bravado spent. Tara approached Patrick from behind and gave him a hard smack on the back of the head. "OW! What's the big idea?" he asked indignantly, rubbing his head as he looked up at her.

"What kind of idiot are you, pulling a gun like that!?" Tara yelled, crossing her arms in anger.

Patrick smiled and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I wasn't really going to shoot anyone, don't worry. The gun is loaded with blanks. I was just trying to scare those two."

Tara gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "That makes it even worse! Either of those guys could have torn your head off with their bare hands if they'd really wanted to. What were you thinking!?"

Richard approached with Pam, and set his serious eyes on Patrick. "Tara's right. Knowing that those two were violent criminals, you put us all in a lot of danger pulling a stunt like that." He reprimanded.

"You should have at least warned us!" Pam exclaimed, holding onto Richard's arm. "I about had a heart attack."

Tara rolled her eyes. "Imagine what would have happened if Kim and Hiro had still been with us."

Patrick had the decency to look a little ashamed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you guys too. But like I said I wasn't even sure myself that that Rocksteady was really the same Rocksteady who worked for the Shredder. I didn't want to worry anyone needlessly if I turned out to be wrong."

Richard shook his head. "How many other mutant rhinos do you think there are in the city?" he asked sarcastically.

Patrick shrugged his shoulders. "Touché. But you never know." He looked back down the hill where the mutants had disappeared. "And I wasn't too worried about them getting violent. What they said was true; the two of them have rarely attacked civilians or injured the police and security guards they go up against. It really is just the Turtles and the Channel 6 crew most of the time. That doesn't change the fact that they're still criminals working for a terrorist madman of course." He looked towards Angie, who was still standing at the head of the group. "Or the fact that they were lying to Angie and all of us." He finished solemnly.

Pam looked at her best friend's back. "Angie, are you all right?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

Angie stood staring down the slope of the hill towards the line of trees, completely deaf to the voices of her friends. Her mind was a turmoil of doubt and conflicting emotion. She knew she'd done the right thing for both herself and her brother. Those two mutants were criminals; working for a psychotic megalomaniac, associating with them would only put her and Tyler at risk of all kinds of danger. She made the right choice. Yet at the back of her mind she couldn't help feeling like she just did something very terrible and cruel. At the end Rocksteady'd looked at her as if she had ripped out his heart and stomped on it, and in a way that's exactly what she'd done. Had those been tears in his eyes right before he turned away for the last time? Her guilty conscious couldn't help but come back to what Rocksteady and Bebop had told her several times over the last three months. Tyler had been the first friend they'd EVER had besides each other. In one moment she'd just taken away something extremely important and irreplaceable to the two mutants. Was that really alright? Angie raised a hand and massaged her forehead, trying to get her feelings straight. No, she couldn't think that way. If they'd lied to her about their jobs and their real nature, they could have lied to her about anything, even that little fact. She knew only the tiniest bits and pieces about them, and who knew if any of it was true. No, she wouldn't let herself feel guilty about this, she had made the right choice to protect her family, and that was it.

"Angie. Hey, Angie!" The girl startled as she heard Pam calling her name from right behind her, and felt the other girl's hand come to rest gently on her shoulder. "Are you ok. You're kind of spacing out." Her best friend asked kindly.

Angie shook her head. "I'm ok. Just…a little shell-shocked is all." She replied.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Richard added, arriving at Pam's side. "I never would have guessed the truth on my own. Rocksteady seemed so normal, despite looking kind of scary."

"I'm a bit surprised he has it in him. He didn't seem to have a criminal type personality." Pam added.

"Except for the immaturity and trying to justify his actions and shifting blame around, of course." Patrick chimed in with annoyance.

Tara walked up and put her hand on Angie's other shoulder. "I'm really sorry Angie. I know you were starting to care about him; hearing the truth must have been a huge shock." She looked at her friend in the eyes, her expression serious. "Just remember that it was not your fault. He's the one who lied. You don't have to beat yourself up about this."

Angie let out a small sarcastic laugh. "I wish I could believe that. But I suspected for a while that Tyler and the mutants were hiding something from me, but I didn't do anything to find out what." She shook her head in annoyance. "Tyler's not really the best liar. But I didn't expect this." She crossed her arms angrily. "That kid is going to be grounded for the rest of his life when I get through with him."

Patrick stretched his legs out and then hopped to his feet. "Well this has been a pretty interesting night so far. Anything else on the agenda?" he asked lightly, trying to break the tension somewhat.

Richard looked from his girlfriend to the exhausted looking Angier. "I think maybe we should all call it a night." He suggested diplomatically.

"Here here!" Tara exclaimed. "After all this excitement I am ready to go home and sleep the sleep of the dead. You're giving me a ride, right Puddy?" she asked.

Patrick nodded. "Yep, just got to make that phone call to the Turtles' emergency hotline and then we'll be ready." He said.

"I've got to get home too and check on Tyler." Angie said.

Pam looked at her friend with worry. "Do you want us to walk you home." She asked.

Angie shook her head and flashed Pam a tired smile. "That's all right. I'll be ok."

Pam looked a bit disappointed, but nodded in ascent. "Alright. We'll see you later. Take it easy and get some rest all right." She said.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Tara said as she and Patrick began to turn to go. "And don't be too hard on Tyler alright Angie?" she asked. "He's just a kid."

"I'll keep that in mind." Angie replied, smiling.

Richard and Patrick both nodded goodbye to Angie and the group broke up, all of them heading home.

* * *

Twenty minutes after leaving her friends, Angie stepped off the elevator onto the third floor of her apartment building, still completely lost in thought. Thus, she didn't take notice of the large group of people gathered in the hallway until she nearly ran into Mr. Robins' back. The near collision startled her out of her tumultuous thoughts and she looked around the hall in surprise. "Hey, what's going on here?" she asked loudly.

Mr. Robins turned around and caught site of Angie, his old eyes growing wide with surprise and relief. "Angie, oh thank God you're safe. We were worried sick." He exclaimed.

"Why were you worried, what's happening?" she asked, her heart rate quickening with nervousness. She took a step to the side and peered around Mr. Robins trying to see through the crowd of neighbors, who all seemed to be congregated around her door. Her door… "Oh my…" Angie exclaimed, her hands rising to her face in shock.

The door to Angie's apartment was smashed open and she could see more destruction in mayhem leading down the entrance hallway. "Tyler!" she yelled out, her heart overwhelmed with panic and fear. She tried to rush forward but Mr. Robins grabbed her arm and held her back,

"You shouldn't go in there." He said, trying to sooth Angie. "The police are already on their way, it would be best to wait for them."

Angie turned to the old man. "Do you know what happened?" She asked, her voice cracking with fear. Tears of panic were already forming in her eyes.

Mr. Robins nodded solemnly. "Mrs. Grumman says she heard a loud sound outside in the hall. When she went out to investigate, she saw a group of men in strange purple jump suits forcing their way into your apartment. One of them even threw some spiky disc thing at her as she ran back into her apartment; it's still stuck in her door." The old man scratched his chin and looked up towards the ceiling, trying to recall more details. "I think she said they looked like those ninjas that are always on the Channel 6 news. They're called…the Hand? The Nose? Some body part like that anyway. I wonder why they would be breaking into your place." He finished, looking perplexed.

Angie's heart nearly stopped at that moment. She knew exactly who her neighbor had just described. The Foot! Even without being very news savvy Angie knew who the Foot were, and who they worked for. The Shredder! A wave of panic over took her at that moment and Angie turned and bolted for her apartment door. She knew why they had been there!

"Angie stop, it's too dangerous, you should wait for the police!" Mr. Robins called out, but Angie ignored the warning. She shoved her way quickly past her other neighbors, ignoring their surprised shouts and attempts to speak to her and ran into her apartment. She charged down the hallway and headed straight for Tyler's room. She found the door thrown open, the room trashed and littered with comic books and games, but otherwise completely empty.

Panic iced through her heart again as Angie turned from the deserted room and charged back through the apartment, calling Tyler's name. She looked in every room, inside every closet and under every bed and piece of furniture but there was no sign of her brother anywhere, just the remnants of a violent struggle everywhere she looked. Her brother was gone. And Angie knew who was responsible! She ran for the telephone on the table in the living room; she nearly knocked the whole thing over as she fumbled for the cordless receiver and shakily punched in the numbers that she had only very recently memorized.

A few months ago Patrick's parents had decided to gift their only son with a brand new fancy smancy state of the art car phone for his 26th birthday. Most of his friends, and even Patrick himself, had thought it was a rather silly and unnecessary luxury to have. "Why would I ever need to call someone on the phone in my car?" Patrick had asked, and Angie had agreed at the time, but now she found herself desperately glad that he had the thing now. She listened to the phone ring, once, twice, three times, growing more and more panicked, when she heard the other end pick up and Patrick's surprised voice say "Hello"

"Patrick!" Angie nearly screamed into the phone.

"Angie!?" Patrick replied in surprise.

"Angie? She's on the line?" Angie heard Tara ask faintly in the background.

"Yeah, it's her." Patrick said, somewhat muffled. "What is it Angie? Did something else happen?" he asked, more clearly.

Angie blurted everything out in one long breath of panic. "I just got home to my apartment and the door was smashed wide open, everything is trashed and Tyler is missing!" she exclaimed.

"WHAT!?" Patrick exclaimed on the other end. "Did you call the police, do you know who did it?"

"The neighbors already called them; they'll be here in a few minutes. But I need you to come pick me up right away!" Angie exclaimed.

"What, why?" Patrick asked, sounding confused. "You need to talk to the police and let them handle it."

"Patrick, I know who did this!" Angie exclaimed, her voice full of anger. "One of my neighbors said that she saw purple ninjas breaking in. Purple ninjas like on TV! It was the Foot, Patrick. This has something to do with Rocksteady and Bebop!"

Angie heard Patrick swear angrily in the background. A moment later Tara repeated the same word as Patrick explained everything to her. "I don't understand why you want me to come get you though." Patrick said, back on the line. "What can we do?"

"You can take me to that computer factory the mutants mentioned." She said with determination.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" asked Patrick. "I already left the tip on the Turtles' hotline number; they and the police should be able to foil whatever Shredder is planning. You should just leave it to them; it won't do any good to put yourself in danger!"

Angie squeezed the phone angrily. "You have no business advising me about danger after that stunt you pulled tonight." She exclaimed. "If you don't give me a ride, I'll just get a taxi instead. But I'm going no matter what!"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Finally Patrick replied, his voice quieter and more humble than before. "Alright, I understand. We'll be outside your apartment in ten minutes." He said.

"Alright, see you then." Angie said shortly as she slammed the phone into its cradle. She turned back towards the open door to the apartment, where most of her neighbors still milled about, gossiping and waiting for the police. Her anger quickly fell away, replaced with a horrible crushing anxiety and fear. "Tyler…please be ok…" Angie prayed under her breath, and tears rolling down the side of her face, as she got up and headed for the exit, to wait for the police.


	11. Chapter 10: Painful Decision

-10-

Painful Decision

Rocksteady and Bebop walked down the long corridor of the Technodrome on their way to the portal room for the mission briefing from Shredder and Krang. Bebop glanced sideways at his best friend walking beside him, feeling a renewed sense of anxiety. Rocksteady still looked like he'd been run over by a train; his eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his shoulders sagged with a great mental weight, and he still wore the same haunted, devastated expression on his face that he'd had since leaving the park. His nose bleed had stopped a while ago, but there was now a yellow-ish bruise on the left side of his snout where that guy had hit him with the gun. He'd been this way the whole walk back to the drill module and the ride home to the Technodrome. Just silently staring off into space, looking like his heart had been ripped out. Bebop tried to get him to talk and cheer up, but nothing he said seemed to be getting through to the Rhino, and he was starting to get really worried. They had a mission to complete now, which always brought with it danger and the possibility of a fight. Rocksteady was going to need to pull himself together soon or they'd be in trouble.

As they walked Bebop put a hand gently on Rocksteady's shoulder and noticed him jump slightly at the touch; the reaction sent a sympathetic flinch through Bebop's heart; his friend was so zoned out he was barely aware of his surroundings. "Dude…you got to get yoirself togedder. Da boss is gonna be mad enough as it is, since we's late. You don't want to give him any more reason ta yell at us do ya?" he asked.

Rocksteady turned his head to look at Bebop and the warthog's heart nearly broke seeing the pain and devastation in his friend's eyes. Bebop right then and there made a mental note to track down that Patrick jerk and give him a royal pounding as payback for hurting his friend so much. Rocksteady didn't respond to Bebop's question but then he nodded slowly and turned his gaze back to the front. After a moment the Rhino rubbed his eyes and nose, sniffing loudly as he readjusted his posture and walk to look a bit more "normal" and Bebop felt a little relief. He patted his friend on the shoulder once and then took his hand back as they approached the portal room door. "Don't worry buddy. Everting will be alright in the end, you'll see." He said reassuringly in a low voice as he prepared to press the open button. Rocksteady looked at him again and nodded, though Bebop could tell by his eyes that he didn't really believe him. Bebop sighed inwardly and said a quick silent prayer for his friend as he pushed the switch on the wall and the large metal door slid up in front of them, and they entered the portal chamber. "Let's just get in, hear the mission, and get out. I'll even do all the talking, I promise." Bebop whispered quietly, giving his friend a small, hopefully reassuring, smile as they crossed the threshold.

Shredder spun around at the sound of the door opening, glaring daggers at the two mutants as they entered. "It's about time you two chowder heads got here!" he screamed angrily. "You're almost ninety minutes late! Where have you been!? I'm not going to give you any more free time if you keep wasting all of mine like this!" he continued, pivoting his gaze between his two minions with growing anger. His eyes moved away from Rocksteady and then returned, suddenly taking note of the mutant's new clothes. "And what's with the get-up Rocksteady? Got a hot date or something?" he asked sarcastically, his voice dripping with disdain.

Rocksteady's eyes widened and his expression became pained again. He opened his mouth to speak and then froze, looking a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. Bebop glanced sideways at the Rhino, feeling panicked. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a plausible sounding lie to defend his friend with. He opened his mouth to speak but then Shredder let out a growl of disgust and turned his back to the two as he stomped towards Krang. "Never mind, I just remembered...I DON'T CARE! Just get your lazy carcasses over here so Krang can explain the mission." He nearly screamed.

"Now now Shredder, no need to shout." Krang burbled, his calm demeanor a direct insult to Shredder's more hot headed behavior. The alien turned to address the mutants as they both approached the big viewing screen. "As I had Shredder mention to you earlier, I need you two to break into the computer factory at the corner of Wabash and Van Buren." As he spoke a video image of the building popped up on the screen behind him, along with a rotating schematic of some kind of computer component. "I learned earlier today that the factory recently built a highly advanced A.I. motherboard, in accordance with a top secret government defense contract." Krang rubbed his tentacles together with delight as he continued. "If my information is factual, this A.I. program is nearly as advanced as Dimension X technology. It would be extremely beneficial in upgrading the Technodrome's systems and getting us back on-line." The alien turned back to the waiting mutants, eyeing them seriously. "So as you could guess, your job is to break in and steal it." He finished.

"Think you two can handle that?" Shredder asked sarcastically.

"Sure ting boss. We's got ya covered." Bebop answered.

"Well, then get going!" Shredder yelled in their faces. "I don't want to see you back here without that computer board, or you'll be sorry!"

"And be careful with it." Krang added helpfully. "It will be rather delicate."

Bebop smiled and saluted. "You got it Krang. One computoir board coming up." He turned and began to walk back towards the door they'd come in, when he realized that Rocksteady wasn't following. He turned and looked back at his friend, who was still standing where he'd been before. "Um…Rocksteady, come on. We gotta get goin." Bebop said. Rocksteady didn't respond. Feeling a jab of fear in his gut, Bebop walked back across the room and put a hand on the Rhino's shoulder. "Come on pal, time ta get ta woik." He said.

Rocksteady shrugged off Bebop's hand and took a step towards Shredder and Krang. His face betrayed a mixture of fear and timidity, with a growing determination behind it. Shredder stared back at the mutant with annoyance. "What are you looking at horn head?" he growled.

Rocksteady swallowed and fidgeted with his hands. After a moment he spoke, for the first time in almost an hour. "Um…Boss? Can I ask yous sometin?" he asked. His voice betrayed fear but he didn't look away from Shredder's piercing eyes.

Shredder narrowed his gaze further. "Make it quick, you ignoramus. I have important things to do!"

Krang snorted back a laugh. "Like what Shredder!? Organizing your kimonos? We both know I do all the work around here."

"Shut up Krang!" Shredder shot over his shoulder before turning his attention back to Rocksteady. "Well, what is it!? SPIT IT OUT!" He shouted impatiently.

Rocksteady flinched at Shredder's angry outburst, but stood his ground. Bebop had to admit he was impressed. He'd never seen Rocksteady face Shredder's anger like this; he'd never even been able to do it himself. The only times they'd ever stood up to him had been when they'd had a clear advantage, like that time Shredder became a fly, or when they got their hands on the fear ray. But this was something completely different. Bebop could tell Rocksteady was terrified, but there was some new drive behind it all, something supporting him. Bebop crossed his arms and silently observed, waiting to see what had come over his friend.

Rocksteady swallowed again and wrung his hands. "Well boss…I've just been tinkin. Bebop and me, we's been workin for ya for a long time now. Almost ten years. And we've had our ups and downs…"

"Ha!" Krang chortled behind Shredder. "That's an understatement." He commented, not turning away from his console.

"…But overall I guess it's worked out." Rocksteady continued.

So…what's your point?" Shredder asked.

"I was just tinkin…"Rocksteady began, looking incredibly nervous and scared. He paused for a moment, seeming to gather his willpower, and then pushed on. "I was tinkin…maybe it's time me and Bebop moved on." He finished.

Bebop's eyes bulged behind his shades. "WHAT!?" he cried in surprise, staring at Rocksteady as if he'd just gone crazy.

Shredder crossed his arms and fixed the Rhino with a penetrating stare. "What are you talking about, Rocksteady?" He asked.

Rocksteady flinched again, but kept going. "You know. Me and Bebop nevah tought we'd really spend the rest of our lives workin for ya, and I know we's been a disappointment to ya most of the time, always messin stuff up and losin to the turtles. I tink maybe we's gotten into kinda a rutt all dese years." He still cringed with fear, but Rocksteady's eyes for the first time showed a bit of hope. He tried to smile slightly. "I just tought maybe it's time we all moved on. Me and Bebop could try something else now, and I bet you could find way better minions dan us to work for ya, no sweat. Ones…who wouldn't be losers." He finished, sounding depressed as he stated the last line.

Shredder glared at Rocksteady with scrutiny and then turned his piercing eyes to Bebop. "Is this how you feel too Bebop? You two are ready to leave my gainful employment?" he asked.

Bebop held up his hands and shook his head vehemently. "Hey, don't look at me boss, dis is all his idea. Dis is the first I'm hearin of it." He looked at his friend, feeling panic start to grip his heart. He willed Rocksteady to back off right now. He was going to get them both killed at this rate.

Shredder turned his gaze back to Rocksteady. The mutant lowered his face slightly, but still kept his eyes locked on his boss. "So…what do you think?" he asked meekly.

For a moment Shredder seemed to actually be thinking about it. And then, much to Bebop's shock, the look in Shredder's eyes changed. At that instant his gaze almost appeared…soft? Even…friendly? Could it be possible? Could Shredder actually be…smiling, behind his metal mask? Bebop could barely contain his surprise. Shredder shrugged his shoulders and uncrossed his arms. "I guess if that is how you really feel Rocksteady, then I can't stand in your way." He said, his voice without its previous malice and anger.

"WHAT!?" Bebop exclaimed, his shades nearly falling off in surprise.

Krang decided to echo the sentiment. "WHAT!?" he shouted as well, spinning his robot body around to stare at his partners in crime. "Shredder, have you lost your mind?" he asked incredulously. Shredder cut him off with one raised hand.

A huge grin broke out on Rocksteady's face, and his eyes lit up with relief and happiness. "Really!?" he asked, completely oblivious to the reactions of both Krang and Bebop.

"Yes, Rocksteady I mean it." Shredder replied, his voice sounding surprisingly fatherly. "But…only if you succeed in bringing the advanced A.I. motherboard back to us. Complete this one last mission, with no screw-ups, and both you and Bebop are free to go if you wish." He finished, looking the mutants in the eye.

Rocksteady grinned wider. "Tanks boss! You can count on us! We'll get dat computer tingy for you, guaranteed." He stated, giving his own enthusiastic salute. "Come on Bebop, let's get goin!" he shouted, turning and heading for the door at a brisk pace without even waiting to see if his friend was following.

"H…hey, wait up Rocksteady. We need ta talk about dis!" Bebop exclaimed, chasing after the other mutant. After a moment they both disappeared out the portal room door.

Shredder and Krang watched the two mutants leave. As soon as the door shut, the friendly expression in Shredder's eyes disappeared, replaced by anger and disgust. "Idiots…" he muttered to himself.

Krang glared at his companion. "Have you lost your mind Shredder? Are you really going to let those two leave free and clear, just like that?" he asked.

Shredder looked at Krang with disgust and condescension. "Of course not! They know all our secrets." He replied curtly.

"So then what was all that about?" Krang asked in annoyance.

"In case you didn't notice Krang, Rocksteady wasn't exactly focusing on the task at hand." Shredder replied angrily. "I had to placate him somehow, or else there would have been even less of a chance for success."

Krang nodded his own head along with his robot body. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense." He glared at Shredder suspiciously. "So what are you going to do if they really succeed?" he asked.

"Best case scenario; a little bit of success will convince those imbeciles to stay on. But if not..." Shredder shrugged. "We can just chuck them into the nearest lava pit. We won't really need them anymore if the A.I. board proves to be everything you say it is."

Krang sniffed derisively. "We should have thrown them into a lava pit years ago."

Shredder shook his head. "I know, I know, don't remind me."

"You do know what they've been up to on the surface, don't you?" Krang asked pointedly.

"Of course Krang, don't insult me. I've had the foot soldiers following them for weeks." Shredder replied. "Those idiots are getting way too soft. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

Krang returned to his console and began typing again. "So what happens if they decide to wimp out on us or turn traitor." He asked, sounding only half-interested.

Shredder smiled evilly behind his metal mask and let out a hearty laugh. "I've already ordered a squadron of Foot Soldiers to follow the mutants and "aid" them in the theft." He explained. "I have a special contingency plan set up, just in case either of those idiots decides to turn against us." He spun around and stared at the door where the mutants had exited, clenching his fist in anger. "Those two will regret the day they ever thought about trying to quit me." He stated ominously.

* * *

The two mutants made a quick stop at their apartment for Rocksteady to change back into his normal clothes, before heading out on their new assignment. As he waited, Bebop caught sight of Rocksteady grabbing what looked like a small bracelet or something from the Rhino's private junk box under the lower bunk bed. He shoved the item into his right pants pocket, looking almost embarrassed when he noticed Bebop staring at him, and then went back to gathering his equipment in silence. When he was ready, the two mutants headed out to the docks to take a drill module to the surface.

Bebop punched the address of the computer factory into the Drill Module's navigation computer and set the machine to autopilot. He didn't want to bother with having to drive the thing manually right now. He swiveled the pilot's chair around and faced Rocksteady, who was sitting on the passenger bench along the far wall near the middle of the vehicle, a depressed look etched on his features. Bebop frowned and stared back at the other mutant with a serious look behind his opaque glasses. "Alright Rocksteady, spill it. What's gotten into you?" he asked with irritation.

Rocksteady flinched slightly at Bebop's tone and looked at his friend with a slightly guilty expression on his face. After the "high" of hearing the boss actually say yes to his request had worn off, Rocksteady had fallen back into the despondent funk he'd been in most of the night. It had suddenly hit him that in the heat of the moment, in his haste to deal with these new overwhelming feelings, he hadn't even bothered to discuss his thoughts and plan of action with Bebop. He couldn't just blurt out something as huge as "We should quit the Shredder and go straight" and think his friend would be perfectly ok with it, could he? Rocksteady looked away from the other mutant's inscrutable gaze and down at his hands. "Bebop…I'm sorry I didn' say nuttin to you before. I hadn' even figured out what I wanted to do at first, and den I just blurted it out right dere in front of da boss. I…I undertand if ya don't want to come wit me, if you'd rather keep workin for the boss. But…" He suddenly clenched his hands together and gritted his teeth, his eyes taking on a pained look. "But…I just can't do it no more."

Bebop scratched an ear and cocked his head to the side. "Can't do what no more?" he asked, his voice becoming more sympathetic.

Rocksteady shrugged his shoulder. "All dis…" he said, glancing around the module. "Working for da boss…being a bad guy." He looked back down at his lap sadly. "I just can't no more."

Bebop crossed his arms. "Dat guy Patrick really messed you up didn' he?" he asked.

Rocksteady looked at Bebop with some surprise. "You weren't bothered by anyting he said?" he asked.

Bebop waved a hand in the air. "Nah, Dat guy was just a bunch of hot air." He shrugged his shoulders. "What happened to his brudder was an accident. We didn' do it on purpose. Why should we let it bother us?"

Rocksteady didn't answer and didn't look up. After a moment he sighed. "How many udder people you tink we've hurt like dat…witout even knowing?" he asked finally.

Bebop scratched his head nervously, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Maybe a lot. Maybe none. How could we ever know for sure? Why bother tinking bout it?" Rocksteady glanced up briefly and then just shrugged weakly, looking miserable. Bebop sighed and took his shades off, letting Rocksteady see into his eyes for the first time. He looked compassionately at his friend. "Dis is really botherin you huh?" he asked, with a bit of surprise.

Rocksteady nodded. "All da stuff dat guy Patrick said about us…all da stuff da purple turtle said before too. Dey were right…about everting. We never…" he stopped and shook his head, feeling angry at himself. He was still doing it. "I never…" he amended. "I never tought about any of da stuff we do for the boss, and what the results might be. What might happen if we actually helped Shreddah and Krang win. I know prolly lots of people would be hurt; with some of the plans probably da earth woulda even been destroyed, but…I didn't really tink about what that actually meant. People woulda been hurt but it was like…" He looked up at Bebop, searching his friend's eyes to see if he understood.

Bebop lowered his gaze slightly, looking almost ashamed for a moment. "It was like dey weren't really real." He finished.

"Yeah, dat's right." Rocksteady replied nodding. "Like dey weren't "real". Not like you and me, the ting we have. So doing all dat stuff for da boss didn't seem like a big deal. But…" He looked down again. "Tyler and Angie, dey're "real" to me. And dey have people dey care about too. And we did sometin dat hurt dem…" Rocksteady shut his eyes, balling his fists up in pain. A few tears leaked down the side of his face. "Suddenly it's just all too much. Too "real". I can't believe I didn' see it before."

Bebop looked at Rocksteady a bit skeptically. "I care about Tyler too, but I don't tink dat means we have ta quit. We could just…protect him on da side. Make sure he stays outta da way. No need ta stop stealing and fightin and all dat fun stuff." He shrugged and smiled, trying to be positive. "I bet Angie will come around after a little while. She won't stay mad at us forevah. And if not we could still sneak around and see Tyler anyway."

Rocksteady shook his head sadly. "I don't tink she will come around, Bebop." He stated. The memory of Angie's burning angry stare was still scared into his heart. He knew she wouldn't back down.

"So do you tink if you quit da boss and go straight, she'll just let you see Tyler again?" Bebop asked.

Rocksteady looked up, and the expression on his face told Bebop all he needed to know. Of course that's what he thought. After a moment Rocksteady looked away, feeling ashamed, but then he shook his head and felt a renewed sense of determination. "Even if she doesn't forgive me, I still wanna do it. I'm still gonna quit. I told you…I just can't do dis no more." He looked up at Bebop, his eyes pleading with his friend to understand. "I'm tired of always being a loser, and always messing everting up! Seems like we can nevah do anyting right, and I'm sick of it! Heck, we even almost helped destroy da entire universe once, and we didn't even realize it." He exclaimed with self-loathing.

Bebop frowned at the reference. "Hey, how was we supposed ta know dat Utrom Shreddah guy was really DAT crazy? We just tought he was like our Shreddah, but meaner. And if we hadn't helped him he woulda probably killed us." The mutant paused and then smiled, remembering the rest. "And in da end we was the ones who beat him, remember? We *saved* the universe, Rocksteady! Aint dat sometin to be proud of?"

"Yeah, saved it by accident." Rocksteady replied glumly.

Bebop gave Rocksteady an annoyed look. "You know dat and I know dat, but as far as everyone else knows, we plugged dat laser back in on poipose." He said.

Rocksteady shook his head. "I just wish we really had done it on purpose. Just once I want to do something right, and do it for real. Not just by luck." He nodded to himself and the determined look returned to his eyes. "I tink dis will be the first step towards dat. No more being da bad guy. Dis is it. Da last mission." He said with conviction.

Bebop grimaced, looking suddenly angry. "You tink that quitting crime is suddenly gonna cure everting for you?" he asked forcefully, causing Rocksteady to jump. "What's the world ever done for us, huh? It hated us even before we was mutated, you tink it will be any different now?" Bebop snorted and spit to the side in disgust. "If you really tink we's losers, den what difference would it make if we became good?"

Rocksteady shrank back a bit at Bebop's angry outburst. "Yeah…I know…But…" he cast his eyes down sadly.

Bebop saw the glum look on his friend's face and his anger softened. "Look, Rocksteady, I'm just tryin to help ya. Life is hard; if you try ta live on the soiface people will treat you like a freak again, an outcast. Da world won't accept guys like us, and being mutants just makes it woise."

Rocksteady looked at his friend sadly. "…You know dat aint true." He said finally.

The statement almost startled Bebop. "What do ya mean?" he asked.

"Tyler and Angie liked us didn't dey?" Rocksteady asked, pointedly. "Dey accepted us even dough we're mutants. Her friends accepted me too. Dey only turned against us because dey found out we were criminals, not because we's mutants." He looked up at his friend, a hopeful look in his eyes. "I tink tings aren't as rotten as you're sayin, Bebop. I tink we could probably get along just fine as normal guys. Maybe dere'd be a few jerks here and dere, but it would work out overall."

Bebop studied his friend closely. "So…you're really determined to do dis?" he asked.

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah, I am." He said resolutely. Then suddenly he felt a sharp stab of sorrow in his heart. Bebop obviously didn't want to come with him. He was going to be along again. Without his best friend.

Bebop sighed with resignation and put his shades back on. He could tell Rocksteady was not going to change his mind. "So den…do ya got a plan for when we leave?" he asked, sounding a bit defeated but accepting. "Where we might stay and what we'll do? You tink we should get jobs now?"

Rocksteady shook his head. "I havn' really tought dat far ahead yet, but I'm sure I'll figure out sometin…" Suddenly the mutant stopped, looking up at his friend with dawning surprise in his eyes. "Wait…did you say "we"?" he asked.

Bebop smirked and crossed his arms. "I'm insulted Rocksteady. You tink I'm just gonna sit here and let you go off into da big woild all be yoirself?" he grinned wide. "You wouldn' last two days on yoir own witout me dere to help ya." He added confidently.

Rocksteady stared at the warthog, feeling a mix of confusion, surprise, and hope. "But…but…I tought you didn' want to quit." He sputtered out.

Bebop shrugged. "Yeah, I guess in da end I woulda preferred to stay if I could. Not really my style to turn away a free bed and food. But…" he smiled warmly at his friend. "We promised each udder dat we'd always stick togedder, no matter what. If yoir mind's really made up about dis, den I guess dat's dat. I'm behind ya all the way, pal."

Rocksteady looked at his friend and felt nearly overwhelmed by emotion. His heart swelled with warmth and tears suddenly came involuntarily to his eyes. He'd known that quitting was the right thing to do, but he also knew that his friend might not go for the idea, and the thought of losing Bebop on top of everything else had completely petrified him. It had taken every ounce of his will to hold onto his new conviction in the face of that possibility. But Bebop was always surprising him. Once again he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have a friend like him. "I…I…" Rocksteady began, and then fell silent, completely at a loss, as tears welled up in his eyes.

Bebop scratched his nose and looked a little embarrassed. "Hey, no need to get all mushy pal." He said.

Rocksteady smiled and laughed a little at Bebop's comment, but it didn't change his feelings a bit. He wiped his eyes, and then walked towards the other mutant. Without a word, Rocksteady reached up and placed his right hand on the back of Bebop's neck, gently drawing his friend forward as he leaned in to meet him, angling his head down as far as he could. He pulled Bebop close until their foreheads touched, rough gray skin pressed against brown fur. It was a secret gesture of their unbreakable bond, only exchanged a handful of times before. Rocksteady closed his eyes and leaned forward slightly into Bebop's weight, feeling the warmth of the close contact with his best friend on earth; the connection between their hearts. He smiled as tears welled up in his eyes again, and his breathing choked a little, as his emotions rose inside him. "Thank you, brother." He whispered quietly, his voice weighted with emotion, his words enunciated perfectly, without the inflection of his regular accent. "Thank you." He repeated, his voice cracking slightly.

Bebop smiled slightly and raised his own right hand, placing it on the back of Rocksteady's neck in a mirror of his friend. "Rocksteady, you big dummy." He said affectionately, lightly squeezing his friend's neck as he leaned forward into his weight. "Of course I was gonna come wit you." He replied, surprised to feel a tear welling up in his own eye. "We'll always be together." He said reassuringly.

"Always…" Rocksteady repeated with conviction, a tear running down his snout.

The two mutants stood like that for several more minutes, not moving, not saying a word, just letting themselves be together. Their eyes closed, both friends rested in each other's closeness, feeling the warmth of the other's touch, building a renewed bond and mutual sense of support as the moments passed. Finally Rocksteady squeezed the back of his friend's neck lightly and pulled away from him, wiping another set of tears from his eyes with his left hand. The mutant Rhino sat down on the passenger bench, and Bebop sat down beside him, their shoulders touching. They continued to sit in silence for a few more minutes before Bebop finally spoke. "Feeling better buddy?" he asked.

Rocksteady smiled warmly. "Yeah. Tanks." He said again.

Bebop gave a sideways look to his friend and smirked. "You know, if anyone has a right to be mad, it's me. You was da one who was ready to go off on yoir own and leave me still workin for Shreddah by myself." He said, half annoyed and half teasing.

Rocksteady looked away with a bit of shame. "Yeah…I'm sorry. I don't know what I'd have done witout you." He shrugged and smiled contritely. "If you had said you weren't comin I might have chickened out in da end. But I'm glad you agreed."

Bebop shrugged again. "What you said to da boss was right actually. We prolly are in a rutt. A change of pace will be nice." He admitted, before turning to look at Rocksteady full on. "Hey, you nevah did answer my question. Do you have any idea what we should do after we finish dis mission? Like for jobs and stuff?"

Rocksteady thought for a moment. "Well, da turtles did say dey would help us if we decided to quit da boss. Maybe we could go talk to dem to start out. As for jobs…" He grinned toothily. "Maybe we could try being bouncers?" he asked.

Bebop looked at Rocksteady with surprise, and then cracked a smile, letting out a snort of laughter. "Bouncers? Heh, yeah, maybe dat would woik!" he commented, and then laughed harder, the irony of the suggestion overtaking him. Rocksteady grinned wider and laughed himself, putting an arm on Bebop's shoulder as he leaned against his friend for support. As the drill module tunneled on towards the surface, the two friends sat on the passenger bench, laughing together, their worries for the moment, finally forgotten. For the first time in several hours Rocksteady began to feel that everything might really turn out alright.


	12. Chapter 11: Last Mission

-11-

Last Mission

Bebop hit the release button and popped open the drill module door, revealing the dark empty alleyway beyond. "Well, here we are. Time ta get ta woik." Bebop said as he stepped out onto the pavement. Rocksteady nodded resolutely as he strapped his hand blaster onto his belt and followed his companion out the door.

The two mutants crept as quietly as possible down the narrow alley, towards a large loading dock door on the back wall of the building, with a smaller human sized door set into the wall beside it. They had just reached the small flight of stairs leading up to the door when Rocksteady froze, his ears perking up vertically, like a dog's. "What's dat sound?" he whispered quietly. Bebop turned and opened his mouth to respond, but then paused as he picked up on the sound too. It was a low deep vibration, and it seemed to be getting closer. The mutants froze, listening intently. Ten seconds later, a second drill module burst out of the ground and came to rest a few feet back from theirs. The mutants looked at each other with confusion and approached the module wearily. The door slid open and a squadron of foot soldiers poured out the door and stood before them.

Bebop frowned at the new arrivals and crossed his arms in annoyance. "What are you bucket heads doin here?" he asked.

The lead foot soldier looked in the mutant's direction, its featureless purple mask and yellow eyes displaying no human response at all. "The master sent us." It spoke in a creepy electronic monotone. "We have been ordered to assist you." It explained.

Bebop grimaced in annoyance and spit to the side. "Don't da boss have any fait in us. We don't need no help." He stated grumpily.

Rocksteady understood how Bebop felt; he didn't really like the creepy foot ninja robots much either, especially since that time they got super smart and tried to revolt. But in this case he was actually relieved to have them along; it could only increase their chances of success. He smiled and turned to his friend. "Don't sweat it Bebop. Da important ting is just completing da mission witout messin up. Especially dis time."

Bebop looked at his friend and then nodded, his irritation melting away. "Yeah, yoir right. It's our last mission, so let's just get it done and overwit and move on." He turned and began to walk towards the door, but then stopped and turned around to glare at the foot robots again. "But you guys stay back and don't get in da way unless we need ya."

"Yes." The robot replied in the same creepy monotone.

Rocksteady turned to follow Bebop and the two climbed the short flight of stairs to the back door into the building. It took only a few seconds for Bebop to smash the lock and open the door. They didn't hear any alarms go off, so they quickly headed into the dark room beyond the doorway, followed by the foot ninja. They found themselves in a large storeroom, full of boxes and scatterings of junk and machinery. Bebop pulled his purple comm. device out of his pocket and turned it on, bringing up the blueprints of the building that Krang transmitted to their devices, along with a tracking program. "Accordin to Krang, dat computer ting should be in a safe somewhere on da second floor." Bebop whispered, pointing to the blinking dot on the screen. "We just gotta follow dis and we'll find it." He explained and Rocksteady nodded in agreement. The two mutants snuck across the dark room as quietly as possible and entered the door on the other side, leading into a long hallway with many doors spaced along the walls on either side. The mutants slunk down the hall, peeking through the windows at each door, watching for signs of security guards. The foot soldiers crept silently down the hall several feet behind them. Finally the group reached the door at the end of the hallway and exited out into the lobby of the building.

Bebop suddenly put his arm up in front of Rocksteady's chest and pushed him back into the hallway, just as a white cone of light passed across the floor in front of them. A lone security guard walked by the door, slowly patrolling around the wide lobby, heading towards the far side of the room beyond the reception desk. Rocksteady breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his friend gratefully. As soon as the guard turned his back to the door, the mutant Rhino crept out of the shadows as slowly and quietly as possible. As he closed in on the security guard Rocksteady balled his hand up into a fist and got ready. Just as he reached the guard his boots squeaked against the linoleum and the guard jumped and began to turn around. His heart skipping a beat, Rocksteady quickly swung his fist down and hit the guard on the back of the head. The man immediately crumpled to the floor in an unconscious heap.

Bebop jogged up behind Rocksteady looking worried. "Dat was close." He whispered.

"Tell me 'bout it." Rocksteady replied, letting out a sigh. He quickly bent down and grabbed the guard under the armpits, casting his eyes around the room for a possible hiding place. He quickly spotted a door marked "supplies" on the far wall. "Over dere." He said, motioning to the door with his head.

Bebop nodded and crossed the room quickly, opening the supply closet door as Rocksteady dragged the unconscious guard over. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but Rocksteady managed to drag the guard fully into the closest and lay him down on the ground. Both mutants pulled out coils of rope that they had attached to their belts and began tying the guard up. Rocksteady pulled the guard into a sitting position and tied his wrists and forearms behind his back, while Bebop tied his legs at the ankles and just above the knees. Finally, Bebop pulled a large bandana out of his back pocket and tied it over the guard's mouth, gagging him. Rocksteady gently laid the guard down on his side, and the two mutants exited the closet, closing the door behind them and locking it with one of the keys from the guard's key ring. "Dere…" Bebop said, rubbing his hands together in acknowledgment of a job well done. "Dat takes care of him. And dat Patrick joik tinks we hurt people." He continued, pleased with himself.

"Yeah…" Rocksteady replied, but he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with what they'd just done. Sure, the guy would be alright in the end, someone would eventually come along to let him out, hopefully after the two of them were long gone. But had they really not hurt him? How much damage might that little "tap" Rocksteady gave him have done? What if he'd accidently given the poor guy a concussion or something? Rocksteady was suddenly painfully aware of just how hollow their defense of "not hurting anyone" really way. This was just all wrong!

Rocksteady shook his head and slapped his cheeks with his hands, trying to clear his thoughts. Bebop looked at his friend with sudden concern. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked softly, putting a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just hurry dis up and get out of here. The sooner we're finally done wit all dis, da bettah." Rocksteady said. He nodded his head and gathered his determination. He just had to push on. Once this final mission was over, they'd finally be done with this life for good. He'd just have to endure a few more unpleasant necessities and then it would finally be finished.

It took about five minutes but the mutants finally found the stairs leading up to the floors above. Keeping as quit as possible, Rocksteady and Bebop made their way slowly up the darkened steps towards the 2nd story, keeping an ear out for any sounds that would indicate more security guards. The foot ninja, of course, made no sound at all as they followed dutifully behind the two mutants. They reached the 2nd floor landing and paused to catch their breath a little as Bebop glanced at the tracker device again. After a moment, Bebop approached the landing door and slowly opened it, sticking his head through and peaking left and right to make sure the coast was clear. Convinced they were alone; Bebop opened the door fully and motioned for Rocksteady to follow him.

The two mutants stepped out into a short hallway with drab gray and white colored walls. To their left the hall opened up into a wider space with a network of cubicles set up in the middle, and several office doors on the wall beyond that. To the right the corridor ended in a single office door and then took a sharp left turn, continuing off beyond their sight. Rocksteady looked at Bebop with confusion. "So which way now?" he whispered.

Bebop glanced at the tracker again. "I tink dis way." He said, pointing to his left.

The mutants walked together into the open area and then immediately headed down a corridor to their right, leading into a narrow twisty passage lined with office doors on each side. Bebop now kept his attention on the screen of the tracker, following their progress as they continued towards their target, while Rocksteady followed behind, keeping alert for any out of place sounds or sights. After a few minutes they reached a large corner office with bigger fancier windows; the inside looked significantly swankier than any of the offices they had passed before. The plate on the front of it read "president" and then some guy's name underneath. "Looks like it's in dere." Bebop said, stopping in front of the large door.

Rocksteady studied the room through the window. "Yeah, guess dis must be da big wig's office."

Bebop reached out and jiggled the handle. It was locked. He grinned to himself and wrapped both hands around the handle. A moderate amount of enhanced mutant strength was all that was needed to snap the lock and open the door. Bebop held up the tracker and began moving it slowly around the room, trying to pinpoint exactly where the signal was coming from. The device began beeping louder and faster as it got closer to the large fancy desk on the far side of the room. Bebop grinned wider. "It's somewhere by da desk" he told Rocksteady.

Rocksteady tromped around behind the desk, shoving the large rolling chair out of his way, and knelt down to peer into the alcove underneath. "Bingo!" he suddenly shouted, raising his head as a big grin spread across his face. "Dere's a safe under here!"

"What kind?" Bebop asked as he headed around the corner of the desk to join the other mutant. "Combination or electric?"

"Um…" Rocksteady ducked down again, cramming his large bulk further underneath the desk as he tried to get a better look at the safe door in the darkness. "It's electronic. Got a big keypad and everting, right on da front." He reported back.

"Great! Dat makes it easier." Bebop replied. He dropped to his knees next to Rocksteady and pulled a long wire out of the back of his communicator. "Move over lunk-head, let me get in dere." He said.

Rocksteady pulled himself out of the desk alcove with some effort and move aside. "What do you mean easier?" he asked as Bebop moved past him into the alcove with the safe.

Bebop looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Don't you remember? Krang put a code crackin program in our communicators a while back, when we did dat bank job." He turned his attention back to the safe, attaching the wire to the side of the electronic lock as he spoke. "Dis will break da safe wide open in no time."

"Oh yeah…I forgot about dat." Rocksteady replied glumly, his brow furrowing with the sharp pain of regret accompanying the reminder of that particular incident.

Bebop punched a few buttons on the device and soon a cascade of scrolling numbers filled the screen, as the program began to hack into the safe's electronic systems. It only took about ten seconds before the scrolling numbers petered off and a glowing five digit code was all that remained on the screen. Bebop punched the code into the keypad on the safe and gave a whoop of victory as the machine beeped and the lock disengaged with a click. "Woiks everytime!" Bebop stated cheerfully as he pulled open the safe door and reached in. Seconds later he brought their prize out into the light; a small green computer board, no thinner than a piece of cardboard. Various patterns and lines were etched across the green plastic and the surface was studded with several black square computer chips and various odd protrusions. Overall it looked like a completely ordinary computer component. Bebop studied the board intently, turning it over in his hands. "Can't believe dis dinky ting is strong enough to help da Technodrome." He said.

Rocksteady growled impatiently. "Who cares if it can or not? Let's just get it back ta da boss!" he replied.

"Ok ok, just keep yoir voice down." Bebop replied, looking around nervously. "Dere could still be guards around we haven't seen yet."

"Sorry…" Rocksteady replied, though his anxious posture and expression didn't change at all.

Bebop smiled reassuringly and put his hand on Rocksteady's arm. "Chill dude, we got dis in da bag." He said, tucking the computer board into the belt-chain around his waist.

"I'll chill when we're out of here and back in da module." Rocksteady replied as he stood up, feeling his heart start to race in his chest. Sure, the hardest part was over, they had the computer board in their possession, but they still had to get out of here and back to the alley behind the building. Who knew what could still happen? Rocksteady took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. _"Almost done…"_ he thought to himself.

The mutants exited the office and began retracing their path back down the twisting hallway, still being careful to keep as quite as possible. As they continued on, Rocksteady caught himself nervously peering through every window they passed by, searching the dark rooms for signs of movement. Every tiny sound he heard caused him to jump slightly, and his heart was still pounding hard against his ribs. Everything had gone smoothly so far, but it was just at times like these when everything could suddenly go bad in an instant. Rocksteady tried to fight the acute sense of paranoia that was creeping over him, but it only grew stronger. This had been too easy. Something was going to happen, he was sure of it. As they walked, Rocksteady slowly reached down and pulled his laser blaster out of its holster, readying his trigger finger. He squeezed the grip of the gun, the weight of the weapon and the feel of the cold metal against his hand strangely comforting. He would be ready if things went bad. No matter what, this time they could not fail their mission!

A few minutes later Rocksteady caught sight of the corridor's end, leading back into the open cubicle area, and began to breathe a little easier. The two mutants picked up their pace and headed towards the door leading back to the stairwell. As they began to cross the open cubicle area, Rocksteady thought he heard something. "What's dat?" he asked. Bebop stopped and looked back at him with curiosity. Rocksteady ignored his friend's look at turned to his right, gazing across the room at the set of large windows that looked out onto the front of the building. Cupping his right hand against his ear, Rocksteady strained to identify the odd sound. It seemed to be coming closer.

Suddenly faint red and blue flashing lights began to reflect in the glass across the room, and the volume of the mysterious sound rose. Rocksteady's eyes widened in fear, and he turned to Bebop, feeling panicked. There was no mistaking what the sound was now. "Da cops are here!" Rocksteady exclaimed in horror. "What are we gonna do Bebop!?" he asked fearfully, hopping from one foot to the other.

A trickle of sweat ran down Bebop's face as he heard the police cars screeching to a stop in the parking lot outside. He used all his will power to keep as calm and collected as possible, for Rocksteady's sake. "Calm down pal, alls we gots ta do is get downstairs and out the back door before the police break in." Bebop explained with his best "I'm cool" voice. The mutant turned back towards the stairwell door and motioned for his companion. "Come on, let's make tracks."

Rocksteady nodded and followed Bebop, both of them running for the stairs now. But just as they were reaching the start of the corridor for the elevators and stairs, something flew out of the darkness straight at them. Bebop yelped in surprise, jumping back as the projectile embedded itself in the ground where his feet had been a moment before. At the same time, the room was suddenly illuminated bright as day as all the overhead lights on the floor went on at once. Rocksteady shielded his eyes from the sudden glare, and then felt his breath catch in his throat as his gaze fell on the object that had shot out of the dark at them. It was a three pronged sai.

"Going somewhere boys?" asked a sarcastic voice.

The mutants watched wide eyed as the four Ninja Turtles emerged from their hiding spots around the room; Raphael dropped from a half open ceiling panel a few feet in front of them, Michelangelo leapt over a cubicle wall to their right, and Donatello and Leonardo emerged from the small kitchen area behind them. In a matter of seconds the turtles had Shredder's mutants surrounded.

"Toitles!?" Bebop exclaimed with a snort. "What are yous guys doin here?"

Michelangelo smiled. "Just so happens that we got ourselves a juicy tip about this little heist you're pulling, amigos." He explained jovially.

"Guess I can't make fun of that silly hotline you set up anymore, Donatello." Raphael said, nodding towards the other turtle.

Donatello nodded. "I told you guys we'd get some legitimate information out of it someday."

Raphael rolled his eyes as he bent down to pull his sai out of the ground. "Yeah, it only took six months and one hundred crank calls though."

Bebop gritted his teeth and clenched his right fist in anger. "Dat Patrick joik really did call dem." He muttered angrily under his breath.

"Well, this time I'm glad we decided to follow up." Leonardo said, turning his stern gaze towards the Mutants. "If you two know what's good for you, you'll turn over what you stole and surrender peacefully." He declared heroically, pointing his drawn swords towards his enemy. "The police will have this whole building surrounded soon. Even if you could make it past us, you still can't escape."

Donatello nodded, raising his Bo staff into a defensive posture. "Yeah, we're bringing you goons to justice tonight, once and for all. You won't be escaping back to Shredder this time."

Rocksteady stared back and forth at the turtles surrounding them on both sides, feeling the blood in his veins start to boil. They were almost out! Just a few more minutes and they'd have been back in the drill module, returning to the Technodrome with their last mission completed successfully. And now this! Rocksteady felt all his hopes for the future crumbling into dust in an instant. And he'd actually thought these guys might help them? "You stinkin turtles…" the Rhino growled menacingly. The tone of his voice was enough to catch Leonardo and Michelangelo's notice and both felt a twinge of worry hit them as they glanced up at each other. Rocksteady took a step towards his enemies, ignoring their drawn weapons and battle stances. "You dweebs are ALWAYS gettin in our way! Why can't you just leave us alone for once!?" he shouted angrily. Bebop turned and looked at his friend, shocked by his sudden outburst.

Leonardo regained his composure and glared back at Rocksteady. "Of course we have to stop you. That's our job!" he shouted back, keeping his weapons trained

Raphael laughed. "Hey, you never know. We might leave you alone, if you ask us REAL nice." He quipped sarcastically.

Rocksteady clenched his fists and ground his teeth, feeling the emotions building inside him, to the bursting point. "We're so close…so close." He muttered softly, his whole body shaking slightly as tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes.

"Um…guys." Michelangelo piped in, sounding worried. "I think maybe there's something wrong with Rocksteady…"

Donatello and Leonardo watched Rocksteady closely, feeling a new sense of dread begin to creep over them. The mutant was definitely acting different. His whole body was trembling with emotion, and the expression on his face was more than just simple anger. They had never seen either of Shredder's goons this upset before. "Rocksteady, are you…crying?" Donatello asked in surprise, shocked that the words were even leaving his mouth.

Bebop put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Dude, yoir losin it." He said softly, trying to sooth Rocksteady's emotions. The Rhino jerked his shoulder away from Bebop and shot him a furious stare, before fixing his eyes back at the turtles.

Raphael smiled sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "Is the wittle baby rhino-man mad at us for ruining his fun?" the turtle asked, letting out another laugh.

Michelangelo glared sideways at his companion. "Raphael, shut up!" he hissed, his usual good humor completely gone. This situation was not going as planned.

Raphael rolled his eyes again and glanced sideways. "You want me to be nicer...to THEM? Give me a break, Michelangelo."

"I think you should listen, Raphael" Leonardo stated nervously.

"Not you too, fearless leader." Raphael replied in annoyance, before glaring back at Rocksteady. "Horn head just needs a little butt kicking, like always."

Rocksteady turned in the red Turtles' direction, clenching his hands into fists. "I am sick and tired of you green freaks!" he growled with fury, staring right into Raphael's eyes. The turtle opened his mouth, ready with another witty retort, and then the comeback died on his lips as he finally saw and comprehended the rage in Rocksteady's eyes. Rocksteady glared at his adversary with a stare hot enough to melt solid metal. "Dis was our last mission, and den we would be trough wit all dis!" he growled. Tears ran from the corners of his eyes down the side of his face and snout. "We were so close and then yous had to ruin EVERYTING!"

The four Turtles exchanged a worried look between them. "Last mission? What are you talking about?" Raphael asked, his sarcastic attitude completely gone. He took an involuntary step back, raising his hands defensively. "Hey, Rocksteady, buddy. It's all good, we…we can talk this over can't we? No need to go postal." He stuttered weakly, trying to smile.

Rocksteady felt his emotions snap like a twig. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he bellowed with blind rage; letting out a guttural animal growl as he charged towards Raphael, laser pistol blasting. With ninja quick reflexes Raphael dodged two beams aimed at his head and brought his Sais up in front of him, deflecting two more blasts of light with the metal of his weapons. He flexed the muscles in his legs, preparing to leap over his attacker, but it was too late. Rocksteady cleared the space between them with shocking speed and lowered his head like a charging Rhino in the wild. Before Raphael could move, Rocksteady caught him square in the chest with the top of his skull. The turtle felt all the air in his lungs explode out in one painful woosh, and then Rocksteady swung his head up and to the right and Raphael went flying to the side, straight into Michelangelo. The two turtles hurtled through the air and smashed into the nearest cubicle, knocking the whole row of flimsy walls down like dominoes as they bounced up and landed several feet away, across the room near the windows. Rocksteady growled and turned to charge after them.

Leonardo and Donatello stood frozen, shocked expressions plastered on their faces. They could barely comprehend what they had just seen. "Did…that just really happen…?" Donatello stuttered. His normally sharp mind just couldn't seem to click. What was going on here?

Leonardo got himself under control first. "Snap out of it Donatello!" he yelled to his companion, before turning his attention to the other turtles. "Hang on, Raphael, Michelangelo! We're coming." He shouted, drawing his weapons.

Bebop stood frozen with just as much shock as the rest of the group. The rage he had just seen in Rocksteady scared him more than anything else he'd witnessed in a long while. He had to stop him before he did something REALLY bad, if it wasn't already too late. Bebop saw the blue and purple turtles begin to move in the corner of his eyes and his attention snapped back into focus. Things were finally getting dangerous and of course those useless foot robots had disappeared. He raised his hands to the sides of his mouth, like a makeshift bullhorn. "Hey, bucket heads. Now might be a good time ta help out!" he called, before taking off after Rocksteady. He had to get to his friend before the turtles could, or they might hurt him bad this time.

Seconds after the call, a swarm of purple clad foot ninja leapt out of the shadowy corridor the mutants had travelled down earlier, and more poured out of the nearby darkened offices, all drawing various weapons and blasters. The ninjas were on top of Leonardo and Donatello before they could even blink, slashing and punching and firing their guns. "NO! We don't have time for cannon fodder!" Leonardo yelled in frustration, as four foot bots jumped in to bare his way.

"Get out of my way!" shouted Donatello, smashing the head of one robot with the end of his Bo. He glared angrily across the room at Bebop's retreating back. "If you two hurt our friends, you're going to be sorry, Bebop!" he called out angrily.

"You and me both."Bebop muttered to himself as he rushed across the room.

Michelangelo and Raphael lay in a tangled heap underneath the large front windows of the room. They were bruised and dazed but surprisingly unhurt beyond that. Rocksteady approached the turtles slowly, feeling rage and frustration rolling inside him. Here now were two of the enemies that had caused him and Bebop so much grief and so many set-backs over the years. Yeah, they were bad guys, and incompetent, but if it weren't for the turtles…Rocksteady bared his teeth and thumbed the power setting on his blaster all the way up to maximum. After so many years he finally had two of them right where he wanted. He lowered the gun and took aim.

Michelangelo opened his eyes slowly and groaned; his head was pounding like a jack hammer and his whole body hurt. He pulled himself out from under Raphael and then spotted Rocksteady standing a few feet away. His eyes widened in fear and he shook his companion lightly. "Raphael, wake up."

Raphael groaned and opened his eyes. "Did you get the number on the truck that hit us?" he asked weakly.

"Dude, I think that truck is about to turn us into turtle soup." Michelangelo replied, motioning towards Rocksteady.

Raphael turned his head to look, his eyes widening as he saw the mutant and the laser blaster pointed right at them. "Hey, I always knew my mouth would be the end of me someday." He joked weakly.

Michelangelo put his arm protectively around the other turtle and looked about for something to throw or protect themselves with. Unfortunately there was nothing nearby, and Rocksteady was too far for his nunchuks to reach. Even if he threw them, the mutant could still shoot first. And he could see the other two turtles completely overwhelmed by attacking foot soldiers. They were on their own. Michelangelo swallowed hard as he realized, this might really be the end.

Rocksteady stared down at the terrified turtles and let his anger towards them burn. He began to tighten his finger on the trigger of the blaster.

Bebop pulled to a stop right behind the other mutant and surveyed the situation. He noticed the power setting on Rocksteady's blaster and a stab of panic went off inside him. The turtles would be vaporized if they were shot with that much power output. "Rocksteady, stop!" Bebop yelled. He began to reach out to grab his friend's arm, but then hesitated, afraid that his touch might cause Rocksteady to pull the trigger. "Don't do it…it aint woith it." He continued, trying to sound calm and soothing. Rocksteady continued to hold the gun on the turtles and did not reply. Raphael and Michelangelo looked back and forth between the two mutants, confused and scared. "Don't do it buddy, please." Bebop pleaded. "If you do dis, you'll just be provin dat Patrick geek right. Dis isn't us. It nevah has been." He chanced reaching out and putting one hand gently on Rocksteady's shoulder. The skin was damp with sweat, and he could feel his friend's heavy respiration, shaking his whole body. "Just lower da gun and let's blow dis place, alright pal?" he asked, smiling.

Rocksteady glanced over his shoulder at the calm expression of his friend's face and then back at the turtles. His sworn enemies. The ones that had ruined so many of their missions. Now lying helpless and scared right in front of him. Could he really do this? Rocksteady thought of the encounter in the park earlier that night. He thought of Tyler and Angie. Rocksteady shut his eyes hard, gritting his teeth as his whole body shook. "UUUGRWAAAAAH!" he shouted indistinctly in frustration as he suddenly raised his gun arm straight up and fired his laser into the ceiling three times. The two turtles stared at him with complete confusion on their faces. Rocksteady lowered the gun, thumbing the power level back down to stun as it went and opened his eyes, looking at the turtles. "I…can't do it after all." He said quietly, his body slumping as all the rage and tension drained out of him.

Bebop let out a huge sigh of relief and clapped Rocksteady on the shoulder. "Whew, don't scare me like dat pal. I almost had a heart attack dere." He said.

"Let's just get da heck outta here. Den we'll finally be done for good." Rocksteady responded. Bebop nodded and turned to go. Rocksteady began to turn as well and then he stopped, fixing his gaze on the turtles. They both gasped at what they saw in his eyes. Pain, hurt, and…regret? "…Sorry." he said, holding eye contact for a few seconds more, before turning to run after his companion.

Raphael turned and stared at Michelangelo. "Um…did we step into a mirror universe this morning or what?" he asked.

Michelangelo watched the two mutants with a serious look on his face. He'd always been the most empathetic and sensitive member of the group, and now his alarm bells were going off big time. "Raphael, we need to tell Leonardo and Donatello about this now. I get the feeling those two are in big trouble somehow, and I think I want to help."

Raphael nodded seriously. "You know, I think maybe your right this time." He replied as the two turtles climbed to their feet and ran to rejoin their companions.

Rocksteady and Bebop charged across the room towards the elevator corridor and the door to the stairs. To the left, Leonardo sliced another foot soldier in two and spotted the retreating mutants. "Oh no you don't! You're not getting away this time!" he shouted, flinging one of his katanas at them like a spear.

The two mutants reached the door to the stairs; Bebop's hand was on the handle, poised to turn it and open the path to their escape, when Rocksteady suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder of his vest. "Watch out!" he shouted as he pulled Bebop back and Leonardo's sword flew past him with a whoosh of air and embedded itself in the door next to the handle, slicing through the wood and the frame at just the perfect angle to stick it shut.

Bebop stared at the sword, still quivering from the impact, and let out a nervous sigh. "Dat was close! Tanks pal." He said.

"Don't mention it." Rocksteady replied, letting go of Bebop's vest and patting him on the shoulder.

"I said "YOU'R NOT GETTING AWAY!" shouted Leonardo again. Before the two mutants could do anything to react, the turtle charged and leapt over their heads, slashing downward at them with his remaining katana. The duo stumbled back from the attack and Leonardo landed in front of them; pulling his other katana out of the door with one swift backhand motion, the turtle let out a starling battle cry and leapt towards the two, slashing his blades. Rocksteady and Bebop retreated across the room, firing their lasers, which the turtle deftly deflected with his swords as he kept charging. Suddenly, to everyone's shock, Raphael and Michelangelo leapt in-between the mutant duo and Leonardo, causing the charging turtle to pull up. "What are you two doing!?"Asked Leonardo with confusion.

"We have to stop this fight, Leonardo." Michelangelo began, pleading with his eyes. "Can't you tell that something is up with those two? Have you ever seen either of them that upset before? I think we need to find out what's happening."

"I think Michelangelo's right, fearless leader. You didn't see what we just saw." Added Raphael.

Leonardo looked at his friends like they were crazy. "We can't compromise the mission for this, guys. Our #1 priority is to stop their crime and get back what they stole." He explained.

"I know, but…" Michelangelo began, looking distressed. Before he could continue his thought, more foot soldiers came pouring out of the office next door and set upon the four ninjas. There seemed to be no end to these things tonight.

Ignoring the argument between the turtles, simply glad for the brief distraction Raphael and Michelangelo provided, Rocksteady and Bebop dove behind an over-turned desk by the windows and paused to catch their breath. After a moment Rocksteady peered out around the edge of the desk and observed the ongoing battle. "Oh man, now how're we gonna get outta here." He exclaimed glumly.

Bebop positioned himself behind the desk and peaked over the top, blaster raised in preparation to fend off any attacks. "I don't know, just give me a minute ta tink." He replied as he watched the fight wearily. He glanced over his shoulder briefly, eyeing the large window behind them. "Hey, see how far it is ta da ground. Maybe we could jump from here." He said.

Rocksteady turned and looked out the window, down onto the front parking lot of the building. It really wasn't that far up after all, and there was even a line of large bushes lining the sidewalk right under the window, perfect for cushioning their fall. But the parking lot was bathed in the flashing red and blue lights of five police cars pulled into a loose semi-circle across the wide lot, and it looked like there were at least two dozen officers down there waiting for them. "Um…I don't tink goin out da window is an option." Rocksteady reported. As if to confirm this observation one jumpy looking officer looked up, and spotting the two mutants in the 2nd floor window, fired his gun. Rocksteady ducked as three bullets punched through the glass about three feet above his head. "Yeah, definitely not an option." Rocksteady repeated. He scanned the edges of the parking lot, assessing the level of danger outside. He noticed that there were crowds of civilians gathered around the wooden police sawhorses set up around the parameter of the parking lot. He shook his head briefly in disgust at the kind of people who would come to gawk at a crime scene like that. And then…

Rocksteady stood up so quickly that he nearly knocked Bebop over with his arm. "Hey, what's da big idea?" Bebop exclaimed, glancing between the turtles battling on the other side of the room and his friend. "Get back behind covah!" he demanded. Then he caught the look in Rocksteady's eyes and another knife of panic hit him. _"Oh no, what now?"_ he asked himself silently.

Rocksteady stumbled back from the window, feeling numb all over. All thoughts of his surroundings and situation vanished from his mind; the sounds of the turtles fighting behind him, the sirens outside, everything became suddenly muted and unimportant. Rocksteady felt like his heart was about to explode. After everything that had happened that night, why did things have to keep getting worse!? What he just saw…what he saw… Rocksteady started breathing hard, nearly hyper-ventilating, and a cold sweat broke out on his body. Looking down on the crowds of on-lookers gathered outside, Rocksteady had just spotted Angie, Tara, and Patrick! The three humans were standing at the edge of the parking lot shoved in with the rest of the civilians, looking on intently. Rocksteady shook his head, trying to erase the image, trying to tell himself he was just seeing things, but it didn't work. He glanced out the window again and they were still there plain as day. He could barely believe it. Angie was here!? Why!?

Leonardo saw Rocksteady stand up abruptly and stumble out of cover, and at that moment decided it was time to attack. Slicing through the foot soldier in his way, Leonardo leapt over the smashed cubicle walls lying on the floor and ran towards the mutant.

Rocksteady felt his legs go to jelly and he nearly lost his footing. At that moment everything fell completely apart. Angie was HERE! She was going to see them! Everything Patrick had told her about them would be laid bare right before her eyes. She would see the -real- him; the thief, the villain, and then everything would truly be over. That couldn't happen, it just couldn't!

Leonardo approached the two mutants and leapt into the air, raising his swords as he prepared to bring them down on Rocksteady's head.

In that moment Rocksteady finally made a decision. Enough was enough! He turned towards the turtles and the foot soldiers, catching a glimpse of Leonardo as he did, and held his arms up in front of his chest, dropping his laser pistol to the ground. "STOP! I SURRENDER!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.


	13. Chapter 12: Treachery Revealed

-12-

Treachery Revealed

"STOP! I SURRENDER!"

Leonardo heard Rocksteady's cry and comprehended just in time. In a split second he reversed the energy of his downward swing and pulled back as hard as he could. Rocksteady saw the turtle coming down on him and shut his eyes, bracing himself for the hit. Leonardo landed in front of the Rhino and his blades halted inches from the other mutant's head. Rocksteady opened one eye and then the other; spotting the two blades frozen in front of his face, he stumbled back and let out a sigh of relief. Leonardo stared at him, uncomprehending. "W…what did you say?" he asked. Behind him, across the room, the foot soldiers had frozen in mid battle. The other three turtles looked at their opponents in confusion and then across the room.

Rocksteady looked at the turtle, feeling relief over the near miss, but with his stomach still churning with anxiety. "I said stop the battle. I'm done wit dis. I…I can't go on." He said, his shoulders lumping in defeat.

Bebop climbed over the desk and approached his companion. "What are ya doin Rocksteady? You can't quit, we still have a job ta finish." He said.

Rocksteady glanced over his shoulder at Bebop and then shook his head. "I can't Bebop! I tought I could get trough dis, but I was wrong."

Bebop looked at his friend with confusion. "But, we have ta do dis or da boss aint gonna keep his deal." Leonardo looked back and forth between the two in confusion.

Rocksteady frowned, feeling a sudden flash of anger. "Well, who said we need his permission in da end?! I…I know what we said before, but now…" he glanced down at his feet, feeling pained.

"Rocksteady, what are ya talkin about? What happened?" Bebop asked

Rocksteady turned to face his friend and Bebop saw in his eyes stark panic and heartache. "Angie's out dere!" Rocksteady replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know why or how, but she is!" Bebop had to strain a bit to catch his friend's words, but when he heard he understood completely. He reached out and put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder, ignoring the confused look from Leonardo standing behind them. Rocksteady met his friend's eyes the best he could, and a tear ran down one side of his face. "Bebop…I…I…can't…I…" he stuttered and then swallowed hard.

Bebop patted his friend gently on the shoulder and then squeezed it reassuringly. "I get it. I understand, pal." He whispered back, and Rocksteady nodded and smiled weakly. Bebop turned and faced the blue turtle, as the other three approached the group. "Well, like he said. That's it. We surrender." He announced in a louder voice, holstering his blaster.

Donatello looked at them with confusion. "Could someone please explain what is going on here?"

"I told you guys something was up with them." Michelangelo said, smiling.

Leonardo eyed the two mutants suspiciously. He lowered his swords but kept them unsheathed. "I think you two better start talking." He said sternly.

"We're done being bad guys." Rocksteady explained bluntly.

Raphael narrowed his eyes at the Rhino. "Give me a break. If you two are going straight then I'm the queen of Sheba."

Rocksteady frowned, feeling hurt and slightly offended. "Really, we are!" he exclaimed with a bit of indignation.

Bebop looked at his friend and then back to the turtles and shrugged. "Let's just say a few tings have…changed… for us recently. Being bad guys, dat aint us no more"

"Then why did you break into a computer factory to steal an A.I. chip?" asked Donatello suspiciously.

"Oh yeah!" Rocksteady exclaimed, suddenly remembering. He turned to Bebop and took the computer board from where it was tucked in the other mutant's chain belt. He held the item out towards Leonardo. "Here, you can take dis back. We don't want it no more." He explained. Leonardo looked at the item as if it was some kind of poisonous snake, and didn't move to touch it. Rocksteady held it out further, trying to smile and look sincere. "Really, take it. We're sorry we even stole it ta begin wit." He assured the turtle.

Leonardo hesitated a moment more and then slowly reached out and took the item. He held it for a second and then immediately passed it to Donatello, who had more experience handling computer stuff. Raphael whistled and smiled. "I never thought I'd see the day Bebop and Rocksteady willingly returned something they stole." He stated.

"Tonight was s'possed to be our last mission." Bebop explained to Donatello. "Da Boss said he'd let us quit if we brought him dat A.I. tingy foist."

Donatello looked at the two suspiciously. "And you really believed him?" he asked incredulously.

"Sure, why wouldn't we?" Bebop responded, looking honestly perplexed.

"Uh, maybe because he's a completely psychotic megalomaniac?" Michelangelo said.

Rocksteady nodded his head. "Dat's true. But he fed us and took care of us all dese years." He explained.

"Yeah." Bebop added "Even gave us an allowance sometimes."

"So then why are you quitting?" Raphael asked.

Rocksteady shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor, away from the Turtles searching eyes, fighting a sudden wave of internal guilt. "Just…I guess we're finally seein tings different like." He responded nervously, scratching a spot on the floor with the toe of his boot.

Bebop smiled and clapped Rhino on the shoulder. "Well at least dis guy is. I'm kinda just along for da ride. He'd be totally lost witout my help, and we're a team." He said.

The turtles looked at each other in silence, as they tried to take in and process everything Rocksteady and Bebop had just told them. Finally Donatello decided to speak up. "Well, what now, Leonardo?" he asked.

Leonardo rubbed the back of his head and let out a tired sigh. "I don't know. I guess we put that computer board back where it belongs and take these guys down to the police." He said.

Rocksteady's eyes widened and he felt a wave of panic hit him. "You're just gonna turn us over ta da cops?" he asked.

Leonardo gave him a stern look. "If you're really serious about not being bad anymore, you two will have to take responsibility for yourselves. Breaking and entering is a crime, you know. So is stealing." He said, as if lecturing a small child.

Bebop frowned and looked confused. "But we just gave you that ting back. We aint gonna take it no more." He said.

"You still TRIED to steal it though." Donatello explained. "And you broke into this place."

"Yeah. It's good that you've decided to quit the Shredder and all, but you can't just perfectly fix everything by saying you're sorry." Leonardo added.

Rocksteady felt a stab of pain in his heart as he recalled Angie saying almost the exact same thing earlier. He knew Leonardo was right. But…the thought of going out there now, of letting Angie see him, was just too much to bear. "Um…couldn't we just go wit yous guys for now?" he asked hesitantly.

Raphael scowled. "Hey, this isn't some trick to get us to take you to our hidden lair so you can tell Shredder, is it?" he asked testily. Leonardo and Donatello frowned at the suggestion, and Leonardo gave the mutants a stern penetrating look, his face hardening. Michelangelo just looked worried.

Rocksteady shook his head vehemently and held up his hands. "No, no, you don't gotta take us back to your home or nuttin." The mutant swallowed and looked down at his hands, feeling a conflict of fear and resolve inside him. He swallowed again and continued. "If you really want us to go to da police later we will…"

"Wait, we will?" Bebop suddenly interjected, looking surprised.

"Just…please don't make us turn ourselves in right now." Rocksteady finished, looking into the eyes of the four Turtles, willing them to listen.

Leonardo scratched his chin and thought. It went against his better judgment not to turn them in immediately, but he thought he sensed something with Rocksteady. "I don't know…" he said indecisively.

"Please…" Rocksteady replied, fidgeting with his hands nervously.

Michelangelo looked at the two mutants compassionately and then focused on Leonardo. "I really think we should help them out." he replied.

Leonardo sighed and nodded. Michelangelo was usually right about these things, so it would probably be best to follow his instincts. And the look of anxiety and fear of Rocksteady's face was so acutely pitiful that it couldn't possibly be a lie. "I think you're right Michelangelo." Leonardo responded. He looked the two mutants in the eye. "Alright you two. You can come with us, just for a little while."

A relieved smile broke out on Rocksteady's face. "Really!? Tanks a lot!" he exclaimed as he wiped under his right eye.

"But…" Leonardo continued, prompting a renewed look of worry from the two. "In exchange I want to hear the whole story, from the beginning. Why you've decided to quit the Shredder and everything that led up to it."

Rocksteady hesitated for a moment. "Uh…ok, yeah I guess dat's fair." He replied with slight reluctance.

"Sounds good." Bebop added.

"Then let's hurry up and blow this popsicle stand!" Michelangelo said, smiling wide as he pumped his fist in the air.

Rocksteady felt relief a great sense of relief wash over him. It was finally over. They were really done with their lives as criminals now. And they wouldn't have to finish this stupid last mission or ever see Shredder and Krang again. Even the thought of turning themselves in to the police didn't really frighten Rocksteady; he couldn't imagine that it would be as bad as it had been for him to see that look of deep hurt and disappointment on Angie's face earlier that night. Anything would be a walk in the park next to that. The mutant Rhino smiled genuinely for the first time in a while and nodded to his partner. Bebop sighed; looking tired and reassigned, and then smiled back. Rocksteady turned towards the turtles and nodded at them. Leonardo looked taken aback by Rocksteady's expression, and then he let himself smile as well. The two mutants began walking towards the turtles, and Rocksteady even raised his right hand to prepare to shake hands with the leader. And then…

The sound of laser fire rang out, harsh and shocking. Three bolts of burning energy smashed into the ground at Bebop and Rocksteady's feet, causing the duo to jump back while the turtles whirled around, weapons in hand to confront the new threat. "OWWWW!" Bebop cried out in pain, grabbing his right foot in his hands. The side of his red sneaker was blackened and smoking.

Rocksteady grabbed the warthog's shoulder just as he was about to lose his balance. "Are ya alright Bebop?" he asked.

"I tink so." Bebop replied, leaning against Rocksteady's side to keep balance as he continued examining his foot. "Just burned a little." He replied as he slapped out the smoke with his hand.

Rocksteady looked up, eyes searching for who had just shot at them. They widened in surprise as he spotted the source of the attack. "What the…?" he asked.

The foot soldiers had unfrozen, and were now approaching the group from across the room, weapons drawn. While a group of six fanned out to cover the turtles, the two in the lead walked past and stopped a few feet away from Rocksteady and Bebop pointing their laser rifles right at the two mutants!

Michelangelo looked around with concern. "I thought these things were totally gone-zola when Rocksteady gave the stop order."

"I guess not." Leonardo replied, raising his swords.

Raphael glared at them with annoyance. "Hey, doofus twins, aren't these things supposed to obey you? Call em off already," he shouted over his shoulder.

Bebop lowered his foot to the ground gingerly and then grimaced in the direction of the nearest foot bots. "What's da big idea, bolt brains? Why'd ya shoot me!?" he asked in annoyance.

Rocksteady glared angrily at the robots. "Yeah. You're s'pposed to do what we tell ya. And I said the battle's over, so shut off already." He said.

The lead soldier stared back at Rocksteady with blank yellow eyes and did not lower his rifle. "Finish the mission." It said in its creepy robotic voice.

Rocksteady laughed harshly. "We don't take orders from you." He replied.

The robot did not react or move at all. "Finish the mission, or there will be dire consequences." It elaborated.

Bebop snorted back a laugh of his own. "You really tink you can take the six of us, can-heads?" he asked.

Rocksteady nodded and crossed his arms defiantly. "Yeah, you got no chance. We're done, and dat's final. Why don't ya go back ta Shreddah and Krang and tell em if dey want dat AI ting, dey should come get it demselves."

"That's telling them, dudes!" Michelangelo called out.

Leonardo tightened his grip on his swords and readied himself to attack. "Get ready guys, let's take this cannon fodder apart and get out of here." He said confidently.

"The mutants Rocksteady and Bebop will finish the mission as ordered…" the lead foot soldier replied, and then turned towards a darkened office room on the opposite side of the room. "Or something unpleasant will happen to their friend."

Lights in the office instantly went on and the door opened as three foot soldiers exited in a rough triangle formation, dragging something between them. "Let me go, you sorry excuse for ninjas." A familiar voice cried out.

Rocksteady felt a wave of horror rush over his entire body at the sound. His legs nearly collapsed and he had to grab onto Bebop's shoulder to keep upright. "No…it can't be…" he stuttered.

The foot soldier at the head of the newly arrived group stepped aside, revealing Tyler, held between the two other soldiers, glaring up defiantly at his captors. As soon as he saw Rocksteady and Bebop his eyes lit up. "Guys! I was getting worried about you!" he called out.

"Tyler!?" The four turtles called out together in shock.

"Oh hey, you're here too" Tyler replied, noticing the turtles for the first time.

"Well now I feel like chopped liver." Raphael replied sarcastically.

Bebop's whole body began to shake with anger, and he clenched his fists so hard his knuckles audibly popped. "You evil joiks…" he growled, grinding his teeth with rage. "What are you doing with Tyler!?" he shouted.

Tyler looked at Bebop. "They broke in to the apartment right after you left and grabbed me. Took me back to the Technodrome and then followed you when you guys left on your mission." He explained. He glanced between his captors with a look of disgust. "I heard them talking with Shredder before we left. He had them grab me to keep as a hostage, just in case you two decided to betray him." He looked up at the mutants and smiled, giving a thumbs-up. "I guess you did. Good going!"

"Now you two see the kind of low-life creep Shredder is." Donatello said over his shoulder towards the two mutants. "He probably never had any intention of keeping the deal he made with you either."

The reality of the statement hit Rocksteady like a brick wall. They had been fools all along to even think of asking Shredder's permission to leave. They were fools to have even been hanging around Tyler in the first place. Of course Shredder would find out about him. Everything the purple turtle had said to them three months ago, everything Patrick had said about them, it was all true. "Dis is all our fault…" Rocksteady replied soberly.

Bebop took a step towards the Foot Soldiers, fists raised. "Dis aint our fault Rocksteady, it's Shreddah's!" he growled. The lead foot soldier immediately turned and pointed his laser rifle at the boy, causing Bebop to freeze in his tracks. The mutant reached up and raised his shades, the hate and rage in his eyes plainly visible as he glared at the robots. "If you don't let our friends go right now, you disgusting robots, I'm gonna rip you apart!" He growled.

"Your friend will be released, when you finish the mission." The robot replied.

"Why you…!" Bebop growled. He tried to take another step forward but Rocksteady grabbed him under his arms. "Hey, lemme-go, horn head. I need to teach dese tings a lesson!" he growled, pulling against his friend.

"Calm down Bebop, you can't!" Rocksteady cried, struggling against his friend's strength. "They'll hurt Tyler before you can stop them."

"He's right!" Leonardo replied, lowering his swords. "We have to stand down, for Tyler's sake." The other turtles reluctantly lowered their weapons too.

Bebop calmed down slightly and allowed himself to be pulled back to their original position by Rocksteady. He continued to glare at the foot soldiers. "I promise you're gonna be sorry for this, can-heads." He growled.

Rocksteady looked up at Tyler and felt a wave of helplessness and guilt flood over them. "I'm sorry Tyler. I'm sorry we got you into dis." He called out.

Tyler smiled back. "It's alright. Don't blame yourselves for Shredder's actions."

Rocksteady felt a stab of pain in his chest and grimaced. He shook his head sadly. "If we hadn't kept hangin out wit you, dis nevah woulda happened." He replied sadly.

Tyler frowned and cast a stern look back at the Rhino. "Don't you dare say you regret being my friend." He called out angrily.

"But…" Rocksteady began.

"But nothing. Whatever mistakes you've made, being a friend wasn't one of them. Believe that." The boy called back, and then smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll get out of this."

"Tyler's right you two, don't give up hope." Raphael replied. "We'll find a way to teach these bucket-brains a lesson." He said as he turned to glare at the robots holding Tyler.

"But what can we do?" Rocksteady asked, feeling helpless. He turned to look at his friend, hoping Bebop had an answer.

Bebop shook his head angrily. "I don't know. Dis time I'm stuck too." He replied as he continued to size up the foot soldiers.

The lead foot soldier turned his head towards the mutants. "The only thing you can do to ensure his safety is complete the mission." The robot stated.

Leonardo sighed. "Well, you heard the robot." He said as he turned to Donatello. "Give the AI board back to Rocksteady, Donatello."

Donatello frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked skeptically.

Leonardo nodded. "We have to play along, at least for now, or Tyler could get hurt."

Donatello nodded and turned to the mutants. But before he could walk towards them Michelangelo leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Donatello looked at his friend for a moment, as if calculating something in his head, and then nodded, handing the board over to the other turtle. Michelangelo turned and walked towards Rocksteady. The Rhino reached out to take the board, but as Michelangelo put it in his hand, he leaned in close, and grabbed Rocksteady's forearm with his left hand, while grabbing Bebop's with his right. "Don't worry guys. Like the micro-dude said, it will all work out." He said quietly. The turtle smiled at the duo and gently squeezed their forearms reassuringly before letting go and turning to rejoin the other Turtles.

Rocksteady nodded and tried to smile back, feeling a small inkling of hope return. He looked up at the other turtles and noticed Donatello trying to discreetly give him some kind of hand signal. The mutant squinted his eyes, trying to understand what it meant, and then the answer came to him. He smiled and shot back a discreet thumbs-up to the side and then looked at Bebop to see if his friend had gotten the message. Bebop glanced sideways at Rocksteady and gave small nod, as his hand began to slowly creep towards his holstered laser pistol. Rocksteady turned his head to face the foot soldiers and prepared himself to take action.

The robot had turned back to face the mutants, the laser pistol now pointed back at them. "Now, return to the drill module and take the A.I. component to master Shredder." The robot said in it's mechanical monotone.

Rocksteady's eyes darted from the robots to the turtles to Tyler, sizing everything up, calculating in his mind exactly what he was going to do and say. Tyler had stopped struggling, and met the mutant's gaze with his own piercing stare; he knew something was about to happen. Rocksteady held the boy's eyes for several seconds and then broke contact, turning back to the lead Foot Soldier. Grimacing with disgust, Rocksteady put forth his best show of bravado and confidence as he prayed desperately in his head that this would work. "Why don't you scrap heaps go suck an egg?!" he declared angrily. "We told ya's, we ain't workin for dat creep no more. We're done. If you really care so much about it…" he continued, holding the component up in front of him. "Den why don't you just take it to him yourselves!" And with that Rocksteady pulled his arm back like a pitcher throwing a baseball and chucked the component across the room as hard as he could.

Everything happened fast. The Foot Soldiers spun around, following the arc of the computer component through the air, and Rocksteady immediately dropped to the ground, scooping up his discarded laser pistol, and opened fire, blasting the laser rifle out of the hands of the lead Foot Soldier. Bebop drew his own laser pistol just as fast, and fired towards the nearest robots, taking out two with hits to the torso. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo whipped their arms out at lightning speed, almost too quick to see, and a flurry of ninja throwing stars sailed through the air, slicing through the heads of the three robots surrounding Tyler, freeing the boy. And just as quickly, Donatello lunged forward and leapt; spring-boarding off the shoulders of the nearest robot, he somersaulted in mid air and caught the computer component as it descended towards the ground on the other side of the room. He hit the floor and rolled into the far wall. "I got it!" he shouted enthusiastically as he leapt to his feet, his Bo already in his hands, the component tucked into his belt.

Everything had transpired in a matter of seconds. For a moment the remaining foot soldiers stood frozen, as if they couldn't process fast enough to keep up with what had happened. Tyler stood frozen too, a look of surprise on his face as he stared at the trashed remains of the robots that had just been holding him. "Wow…" he breathed out, completely stunned.

"Tyler, don't just stand dere, MOVE!" shouted Bebop as he continued to fire at the foot soldiers.

The foot soldiers finally came back to animated life, as their awareness finally caught up, pulling their ninja weapons and laser blasters as they rushed forward to attack. "Aaaah!" screamed Tyler as he ducked a grab from the nearest soldier. "Don't have to tell me twice." He shouted as he ran.

"Move turtles! Let's make scrap out of these tin cans!" shouted Leonardo as he and the other turtles leapt forward to attack. Another foot robot lunged towards Tyler as he ran, but in a flash of steel Leonardo decapitated it with one clean slice of his blade. "You two, get the boy out of here!" he shouted towards Bebop and Rocksteady.

"No Problem!" shouted back Bebop.

Rocksteady took cover behind the desk again and laid down more cover fire. "Tyler, come on!" He shouted to the boy, as he tried to calculate in his mind the quickest way to escape. Maybe going out the window would be the best option after all. It would be easier than trying to get back to the stairs. The fear of being caught by the police and seen by Angie and her friends had completely left his mind. Now the most important thing was just getting Tyler out of this situation.

The boy ran towards them from across the room, leaping over the debris strewn about the floor and dodging around the overturned desks and cubicle walls as he tried to reach his friends. The four turtles leapt and slashed and flipped their way around him like a whirlwind, fending off the foot soldiers attacks as they tried to get Tyler. For a moment it looked like everything was going to work out; and then Rocksteady saw it. One of the robots the turtles had hit with their throwing stars suddenly sat up. Sparks sprayed from its shredded head as it moved in a jerky puppet like manner. It raised one hand, which held a small black sphere, and Rocksteady's heart froze. "GRENADE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, just as the broken robot awkwardly tossed the sphere, straight towards Tyler!

The boy heard the shout and glanced over his shoulder. As he saw the black sphere sail through the air, his eyes widened in terror and he put on a burst of extra speed.

In a split second Rocksteady saw that none of the turtles were close enough to protect Tyler and he leapt over the desk, charging towards the boy as fast as he could. "TYLER!" he shouted desperately.

The grenade exploded. The blast cratered the middle of the room and sent a shockwave out in all directions, shattering windows, knocking the turtles and foot soldiers off their feet, and sending Tyler flying through the air. Rocksteady felt the wave hit him like a punch in the face; managing to stay on his feet just barely as he saw Tyler hurtling through the air straight towards him. He barely had time to get his arms up before the kid crashed into him hard, knocking the air out of him and sending him stumbling backwards. Rocksteady felt the back of his legs hit the wall and his heart leapt into his throat in the split-second he realized there has nothing but empty air immediately behind him. Panicked, he reached out with one arm, trying to find a hand hold, but his fingers caught nothing. Rocksteady had a brief second to see the looks of surprise and horror on the turtles' faces and to hear Bebop yell his name and make a desperate grab for his hand, before he and Tyler fell backwards out the 2nd floor window.

* * *

The world spun crazily as Rocksteady and Tyler fell. The mutant tried to turn his body in midair to protect the boy, but he couldn't tell which was up, down, or sideways. It felt like he fell forever, even though it couldn't have been more than four seconds, and then he hit something surprisingly soft and felt the air rush out of his lungs for the second time in only a few seconds. And then…silence.

Rocksteady opened one eye and then the other, and found himself staring straight up at the broken 2nd floor window of the building he had just fallen out of. He was lying on his back in the middle of a large hedge that grew bordering the sidewalk around the building, which he had squashed nearly flat with his huge bulk. Tyler was lying on his chest, clinging to his t-shirt with his eyes squeezed shut. The back of his shirt was slightly singed but otherwise the kid looked unhurt, miraculously. "Tyler, are you ok?" Rocksteady wheezed in a hoarse voice as he sucked air back into his burning lungs.

Tyler opened his eyes and cautiously raised his head to look around. "We survived?" he asked incredulously.

"Looks like it." Rocksteady replied, smiling as he looked at the kid, and then laughed with relief.

Tyler slid off Rocksteady and got to his feet, offering his hand to mutant. Rocksteady grabbed the hand as a formality, but climbed to his feet mostly with his own strength, and began to look himself over. The bush they'd landed on was strewn with broken glass from the shattered windows, and some of it had cut Rocksteady. He found several shallow scratches and cuts on his forearms, and the back of his shirt had been sliced in several places. Rocksteady also found one medium sized shard of glass sticking out of the back of his right shoulder; he grabbed it between two fingers and pulled it out, wincing at the sting and instantly feeling a trickle of warm wetness begin to run down the back of his shoulder blade. He tossed the glass to the ground and looked over Tyler more closely. "You sure you're ok? Don't hurt nowhere?" he asked.

Tyler looked himself over and then nodded. "Nope, I appear to be completely intact." He responded.

"Hey Rocksteady! Tyler! You ok!?" a voice called from above. Rocksteady looked up to see Bebop's head and shoulders peeking out over the ledge.

"Yeah, we're fine. Both of us!" Rocksteady shouted back smiling.

"Um…you might want to hold off on that assessment." Tyler replied, sounding worried as he pointed behind them.

Rocksteady turned around and his heart sank. Four police officers were advancing on them, guns drawn. "Put your hands in the air! You make any move towards the boy and we will open fire!" the nearest officer shouted in a scary commanding voice.

"Uh-oh" Rocksteady said, as he began to raise his hands.

From the crowd across the parking lot a loud shout suddenly rose above the murmur. "TYLER!" Angie cried, as she spotted her brother, a look of fear and anger etched on her face.

"Angie's here too!? Oh great." Tyler said, rolling his eyes.

"Double uh-oh." Rocksteady replied, feeling even worse. Now not only would he be arrested for breaking and entering, but Angie probably thought they'd kidnapped her brother. This night was just getting worse and worse.

Angie began shoving her way through the crowd, desperately trying to reach the front where the police saw-horses and crime scene tape held the civilians back. An officer grabbed arm just as she stepped over the barrier and she nearly hauled off and punched him. "Let me through, that's my brother over there, I have to get to him. TYLER!" she shouted angrily. Rocksteady sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand. This was a total disaster.

Suddenly from the 2nd story window five purple blurs shot out into the air and landed in front of the duo, between them and the advancing cops. "Triple uh-oh." Tyler echoed, eyeing the newcomers, and Rocksteady felt his heart drop into his feet. It was the Foot Soldiers! Two of them turned and rushed the police while the remaining three began to slowly stalk towards Rocksteady and Tyler, weapons raised.

"Jeez, is dis evah gonna end?" Rocksteady asked in annoyance as he pushed Tyler behind him and franticly looked around for his laser pistol. He quickly spotted it a few feet away, smashed to bits in the fall from the building. Grumbling under his breath, Rocksteady reached over his shoulder and pulled out his machete, holding it up in front of him as he prepared to try and fight off the approaching enemies.

The sound of lasers rang out in the night and three burning red bolts flew down at an angle in front of Tyler and Rocksteady, two exploding into the ground and the third catching a foot soldier with a glancing blow on the arm. Bebop was standing at the window, firing down at the foot soldiers. And two seconds later the four Ninja turtles came charging into view and leapt out into mid-air. "TURTLE POWER!" the four mutants shouted in unison as they crashed to the ground and immediately engaged the approaching robots. Behind them even more Foot Soldiers came leaping out of the open window, in pursuit of their enemies, landing in the middle of the lot. The foot soldiers began attacking indiscriminately, targeting both mutants and the police, and in a matter of seconds the parking lot became a war zone.

Rocksteady ducked under a foot soldier's punch and stabbed the robot in the chest with his machete. "We gotta get out of here!" he shouted to Tyler, who was crouched down behind the mutant's massive bulk.

"You lead the way!" Tyler responded.

Rocksteady nodded with determination and began pushing forward slashing at any robot that came close. He would get Tyler to safety, no matter what. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bebop carefully jump from the 2nd story window, aiming for the hedge. He hit his target successfully and immediately rolled to his feet and charged forward to join the melee. Rocksteady felt his spirit rise at the sight of his friend and fought forward with renewed strength. But the Foot soldiers just seemed to be endless. Where were they all coming from? Did Shredder send his entire army just to make sure they completed this mission? More and more enemies continued to leap from the open window above, and the parking lot was becoming increasingly more chaotic.

Suddenly a rather large cop came barreling backwards into Rocksteady, nearly knocking the mutant off his feet. "Hey, watch it!" Rocksteady growled at the man.

The officer spun around, a terrified look in his eyes. "S…Stay away from me you mutant freak." He cried in fear, raising his gun.

"Hey, I'm on your side now!" Rocksteady replied, raising his hands. Then he spotted something over the officer's shoulder. "Look out!" He shouted, and then pushed the guy out of the way as a foot soldier sliced down at the man with a sword.

"I didn't sign up for this kind of junk!" The officer shouted fearfully from the ground and began to crawl away.

Rocksteady sliced the foot bot in half with his machete and spun to stab another robot coming up behind him. He looked around and panic struck him as he realized he'd lost track of Tyler! Another foot soldier charged him with its sword, and Rocksteady parried the attack as best he could, backing away from the enemy. Suddenly he felt something hard run into his back, nearly enough to hurt. "What the…" Rocksteady replied, stealing a glance over his shoulder.

He was standing back to shell with the blue turtle Leonardo, who was slashing and parrying his own line of oncoming foot bots. The turtle glanced over his shoulder…and gave him an exhausted but acknowledging smile. "You doing alright there? Glad you're ok." He said.

"Uh…yeah." Rocksteady replied, even as he blocked another attack. He couldn't exactly describe what he was feeling. It was maybe the most surreal moment of his entire life. Here he was, standing back-to-back with one of the Ninja turtles, fighting on the same side! "This is totally weird!" The mutant shouted out, mostly to himself, and a big grin spread on his face, despite the situation.

Leonardo glanced around and then back over his shoulder. "Where's Tyler?" he asked with concern.

The grin fell off Rocksteady's face. "I don't know. Lost him in da crowd."

Leonardo decapitated another foot bot. "I'll take your side too. Find Tyler and get him to safety. We're counting on you!" the turtle replied.

Rocksteady nodded, and as his opponent charged towards him, the Rhino crouched and lunged to the right, transitioning into a run. Leonardo immediately turned to his right and caught the incoming attack with his right sword, as he continued to battle the opponents on his left with the other.

Rocksteady, charged across the parking lot, calling Tyler's name, desperately looking around. Suddenly he heard Bebop calling from behind him. "Rocksteady, he's over to da left. A foot creep's grabbed him." The warthog called, even as he punched and kicked against three robots trying to hold him at bay.

Rocksteady spun and saw the foot soldier hauling the boy away, back towards the building. "Oh no you don't!" he shouted, and then charged, letting out a loud guttural animal growl as he did. Tyler saw the mutant coming and pulled to the side, and Rocksteady plowed right into the robot's back with his horn, impaling it. The mutant flung his head back and sent the foot soldier sailing into the middle of the parking lot.

Tyler looked at his friend with wide eyes. "That…was awesome!" he shouted. "Thanks for the save."

"Any time. Sorry I lost you for a second dere." Rocksteady replied smiling. He looked around the battlefield, thinking of a way to get across and outside the barriers where Angie was. Then something occurred to him. He knelt down on one knee. "Tyler, get onto my back and hold onto my neck. I got an idea." He said.

Tyler jumped onto his back, clasping his hands in front of the mutant's neck, and held on. Rocksteady rose, snorting like a bull, and then lowered his head down and charged. A police officer saw him coming and dove out of his way, but the foot soldiers did not retreat and Rocksteady mowed down four of them with his sharp horn as he stampeded across the parking lot. "Hey, there she is." Tyler called in his ear, and Rocksteady raised his head to see Angie shake away from the police officer guarding the barrier and come running towards them, a look of panic and desperation on her face.

Rocksteady slowed down and Tyler jumped off his back and ran to his sister, who crushed him in a gigantic bear hug and burst into tears. "Tyler I was so worried about you! I thought I was going to die of fright. Are you hurt anywhere, did they do anything to you? Oh Tyler, you're safe I can't believe it!" she cried out in one long breath, between relieved sobs.

"Angie, you're squashing me." Tyler choked out and then pulled away from his sister.

Rocksteady smiled, relieved to see the two of them re-united, and took a step towards woman. "I'm sorr…" was all he could get out of his mouth before Angie suddenly whirled around and slapped him across the face.

"You monster, you freak! How could you do this to my brother! What were you doing to him!?" she shouted in rage, and began to throw herself at the large mutant, beating against his chest and arms with her fists, completely out of her mind.

Rocksteady raised his arms to protect his eyes and Angie aimed some of her blows towards his head. "No, Angie…it ain't like dat!" he protested, stepping back from the angry woman.

"Angie…stop, listen to him it's not his fault!" Tyler shouted. When Angie went on screaming and attacking Rocksteady, Tyler shook his head and pushed himself between the two, nearly shoving his sister off her feet. "Angie…STOP!" he shouted in her face at the top of his lungs.

Angie froze in shock, a look of complete dumbfounded surprise on her face. After a moment she recovered enough to sputter out. "Wh…what are you doing Tyler get away from him!"

Tyler held his hands out to the sides, guarding Rocksteady from his sister. "Angie, shut up and listen for once in your life. Rocksteady and Bebop didn't kidnap me!" he shouted at her.

Angie shook her head and looked confused. "What are you talking about, Tyler?"

Tyler growled in exasperation. "What I just said, it wasn't them! They didn't know anything about it. Shredder ordered me kidnapped all on his own."

Angie looked between her brother and the mutant wearily. "Why would he do that?" She asked.

"Because we were gonna quit." Rocksteady replied simply.

Angie looked at him, and Rocksteady saw a flash of uncertainty in her eyes. She looked back at her brother, who nodded his head in agreement. "That's right. Bebop and Rocksteady decided to quit, and Shredder's ninjas grabbed me to make them keep working for him." The boy explained.

Angie looked back at the mutant and more uncertainty was in her eyes, but she still clung to her anger. "No, that's not true. Tyler you can't listen to them, they're criminals. They're trying to manipulate you."

Tyler shook his head in disgust. "Angie, please stop being so stubborn. I was the one kidnapped here, I heard Shredder's plan myself. It's all true." The boy looked up and took a step back towards Rocksteady, grabbing his hand. "Rocksteady and Bebop risked their lives to get me away from those robots. They're the heroes here. I won't stand by and let you keep bad-mouthing them." He replied, giving his sister the coldest angriest look she had ever seen on his face before.

Angie looked back up at Rocksteady and the mutant could see the internal struggle going on in her eyes. He met her eyes and held them, not flinching away. "Angie, I'm sorry. Bebop and me, we did lie to ya; we were criminals and Shreddah's lackeys and all dat stuff Patrick said about us. But we never woulda done anyting to hurt you or Tyler on purpose, honest. And we're trough with Shredder now, for good." He held eye contact with the woman praying in his heart that she'd believe him.

Comprehension and acceptance began to dawn in Angie's eyes. "You're…you're really telling the truth, aren't you?" she asked.

Rocksteady nodded. "I'm sorry Angie." He said again, and a tear ran down one side of his face.

Angie nodded, truly comprehending now, and then suddenly her eyes widened in shock and fear. "Rocksteady, watch out!" she shouted as she grabbed Tyler's arm and pulled him back. Rocksteady spun around and caught the downward sword slash of a leaping foot soldier with his machete.

"Um… maybe we should finish this discussion somewhere safer?" Tyler asked.

"Good idea. Get him out of here Angie; I gotta go help Bebop and da Turtles." Rocksteady shouted over his shoulder.

Angie nodded and turned with her brother, the two of them making a run for the edge of the parking lot, where the rest of the pedestrians were waiting. Rocksteady sliced the attacking foot bot in half and got ready to head back into the fray when two more ninjas flipped over his head and made a beeline for Angie and Tyler. Grimacing in frustration, Rocksteady spun and pursued them.

He caught up quickly, just a few feet away from the sawhorse and police car barrier, and engaged the foot soldiers, who both seemed more focused on Tyler than fighting the mutant. As Rocksteady sliced through one robot, he heard a nervous shout to his right. "S…Stop...please.. Put your hands up!" He caught sight of the same nervous police officer he'd rammed into before out of the corner of his eye, now aiming a large powerful looking rifle straight towards them. "Get away from that woman and child!" The officer shouted at him, his voice giving away the complete terror he was experiencing. The man's whole body was shaking, the barrel of the gun wavering up and down.

Rocksteady felt a dagger of fear stab his chest and he went cold all over. The guy was clearly out of his mind with fear, and seconds away from firing, and Angie and Tyler were right in his line of sight. It was like déjà-vu, but this time a bullet instead of a grenade. "ANGIE, TYLER, GET DOWN!" Rocksteady shouted, and once again charged forward with all his strength and speed.

Angie turned at the sound of Rocksteady's shout and immediately caught sight of the gun pointed in their direction. She had just enough time to register the danger, to try and throw herself in front of her brother to protect him, before Rocksteady hit her and Tyler in the side with his left shoulder, sending them sprawling towards the police barriers.

The gun went off like a thunderclap.


	14. Chapter 13: After the Battle

-13-

After the Battle

Slowly, very slowly, Rocksteady began to return to consciousness. His head was ringing and pounding relentlessly, and he couldn't focus his thought on anything, to the point where he could barely tell what was going on. Odd sounds echoed in his ears, blurry shapes and bright flashing lights played out in his vision, swirling in disorienting patterns. He could barely think straight or remember what had been going on just a moment before. Where was he?

Rocksteady became aware that he was lying on his side on the hard ground. He tried to open his eyes, but everything seemed blurry and indistinct around him, and a wave of discomfort shot through his head again. But it was nothing compared to the fiery agonizing pain in his chest. It was like a glowing white hot spear jabbed right into his lungs, and the pain lanced into him again and again with every breath he took. The front of his T-shirt also felt strangely warm and wet, like he'd spilled some hot drink on himself. He tried to move, but his whole body felt like it was made of lead, and even the little exertion he tried sent another spike of pain through his head and chest. He coughed, triggering a stab of burning fire in his lungs, and tasted copper on his tongue and smelled it in his nostrils. What had happened to him? The mutant couldn't remember.

Rocksteady closed his eyes and tried to put events back together. Suddenly it all came to him in an instant. The terrified officer. The rifle. Angie and Tyler. That cop had been about to shoot them and he tried to push them out of the way. But had he made it in time? Rocksteady couldn't remember, and a shot of panic went through him, almost equal to the physical pain he was in. What if he hadn't made it? The mutant opened his eyes again and he noticed blurry shapes coming towards him, coalescing into focus as they got closer. He felt something grab his shoulder and push him over a bit; even that much movement sent a wave of pain through his body and he nearly blacked out, but at that moment his vision came more into focus and Rocksteady felt amazing relief wash over him as he recognized Angie and Tyler in front of him. Both of them had horrified, shocked, and tearful expressions on their faces, but physically appeared to be completely unhurt except for a few scratches on their arms and legs. _"Thank God"_ Rocksteady thought to himself. They're alive. He'd saved them. At that moment the relief he felt was unbelievable and it didn't even bother him that he was likely dying. At least Tyler and Angie were alright. He'd managed to at least do one thing right in the end.

Their voices seemed indistinct and echo-y, as if he was hearing them from behind a thick wall. He thought they spoke to him and he tried to respond, but wasn't even sure if he'd said anything. He let himself sink against the ground and was consumed for a moment by the pain he was experiencing. Despite every breath being agony, he realized he was starting to almost pant, his breathing becoming quick and shallow, and his lungs were starting to feel constricted. It was like a heavy weight sitting on his chest, crushing him, and the breaths he took were no longer giving him the oxygen he needed. It was like being stuck under water and using a thin straw as a snorkel. Strangest of all, Rocksteady was aware of a peculiar sucking, whistling sensation from his chest every time he inhaled and exhaled. The only thing he could think of was that it felt like he had sprung a leak, and the thought sent chills down his back.

He indistinctly saw movement, more blurry images moving around in front of him. After a moment he felt a large, warm hand grasp his own, the texture of the fur covering it uniquely familiar, and then his friend Bebop came into focus, kneeling over him. He could see tears running down the warthog's face and sorrow and fear in his eyes, and heard his voice distantly calling to him. Rocksteady closed his eyes and felt a small amount of peace and relief come over him again. Bebop was alright too. His friend was there, close to him. He wouldn't have to die alone, without saying good bye. He wished he could say something to his friend to comfort him, to let him know it was alright, but he felt too weak.

He thought he saw more vague shapes around him, probably the turtles or the police crowding in to see the commotion. Bebop's face moved away, becoming indistinct again, and the mutant closed his eyes and just tried to breath. A few minutes later he felt someone else come close, felt fingers prodding his chest, heard distant voices and chatter, but he didn't bother to open his eyes to see who it might be. Breathing was too important.

Just when it started to seem like his lungs had completely closed, Rocksteady felt Bebop's strong hands grab him under the armpits and haul him up into a sitting position. Rocksteady cried out as pain shot through his head and chest, and felt himself being dragged back and leaned against something solid. A few moments later something was pressed HARD against his chest and for a moment the agony was so great Rocksteady thought he would die, and then…relief! He could breathe again! Or at least a little bit better. The crushing weight on his lungs was still there but it had lessoned slightly, and the peculiar sucking sensation was gone too. It was still somewhat like breathing through a straw, but now the straw was slightly wider, and the new intake of oxygen brought a slight boost of strength to his body.

He felt Bebop's warm reassuring hand on the back of his neck and then his friend was close again, speaking comforting and encouraging words to him. Rocksteady could really only catch half of what Bebop was saying, but just the sound of his friend's voice and the closeness and warmth he felt from him gave him comfort. With his friend by his side, the Rhino thought that dying wasn't really so bad after all. At least he knew he had saved Tyler and Angie. Then Bebop said something else and Rocksteady was surprised to feel, despite the situation, a reflexive pang of annoyance at his friend. Rocksteady opened his eyes and saw Angie and Bebop both still watching him, deep worry etched on both their faces. He replied to Bebop's comment reflexively, without really comprehending what'd he'd said. Bebop smiled slightly and wiped the tears from his snout with his right hand and gave a reply. Rocksteady actually let out a small chuckle, despite the pain, and responded again. Whatever Bebop had said to him had triggered a response that now left Rocksteady feeling more alert and awake than he had up to this point.

With his new alertness, Rocksteady began to slowly move his right hand and slide it towards the pocket of his pants. He moved slowly, not wanting to exhaust all his strength, and finally he got his large hand into the pocket and his fingers touched the object nestled inside. He let his fingers play across the smooth round wooden beads and then his fist closed around the item and slowly slid out of the pocket, coming to rest on top of his leg. He was holding his mother's rosary chain, the only object he had taken with him, other than the clothes on his back, the fateful night he'd decided to run away from home. He'd thought the rosary lost forever; he hadn't seen it in years but then he'd found it again this morning, buried at the very bottom of his junk box back in his room on the Technodrome. When he'd found it, Rocksteady assumed it was a sign of good luck, but then everything had gone crazy and now the mutant wondered if maybe he'd found the beads for an entirely different reason.

Rocksteady thought about the life he'd lived and everything he'd done up this point. He had been a horrible person. Even before becoming homeless, before joining the Shredder, he had been a jerk, a liar, a thief, and worse. It hadn't been his upbringing that caused it, or being homeless and poor; those things weren't excuses. Rocksteady had made terrible decisions, and messed up so many times he couldn't even count. If only he could do it all over again. If only he and Bebop had met someone like Tyler sooner. He was sorry for everything he'd done; he wished he had never even heard of Shredder and Krang before. He wished he could change it all. Rocksteady didn't really know much about spiritual stuff, he didn't even know if he really believed in that kind of thing, but at this moment he couldn't help but think about the issue. Squeezing his fist around the rosary beads, Rocksteady thought of the one prayer he could remember his mother teaching him when he was a small boy, before his father had put his foot down about all that "Religion nonsense". Rocksteady didn't know if it was the right prayer for this situation, or if he even remembered it correctly, but it was the only one he knew, and he thought if there was really someone listening, they would understand. And so he prayed, in his head and in his heart. His mouth moved along with the words and he wasn't sure if he was saying it out loud or just silently along with the words in his head, but he kept going.

Rocksteady repeated the prayer four times, and then he felt a strong confident warmth cradle the hand that was holding the rosary beads, and a wave of comfort and assurance rolled up his whole body. In that moment he felt more peace than he had ever experienced in his life and the pain all over his body almost seemed to fade away completely. Rocksteady had the distinct feeling that everything was going to be ok now, no matter what happened. Live or die, everything would be alright.

Only a few moments later he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and someone joined Angie and Bebop in front of him. Rocksteady was surprised when he realized it was Patrick; and then something sharp was jabbed straight into his chest, near his wound. Rocksteady gasped and grunted at the flash of pain, and then heard a strange hissing sound, like air escaping a deflating balloon, and suddenly the crushing weight on his lungs began to lift! It felt like a miracle! Rocksteady inhaled deeply for the first time in nearly fifteen minutes, feeling cold wonderful life giving oxygen rushing into his body as his wounded lungs filled and expanded like they should. It felt absolutely wonderful! Amazing! Rocksteady sank back against the cold metal of whatever he was sitting against, closed his eyes, and just breathed. And breathed some more. All he wanted to do was just keep breathing; that was all that mattered. He heard cries of relief and gratitude coming from Bebop and Angie but he didn't open his eyes or respond, he just kept breathing in that blessed oxygen. For the first time since he'd awakened, Rocksteady began to let himself believe that maybe he just might survive this after all. And with that thought came a sudden wave of exhaustion, sweeping over his whole body, not the dangerous and scary feeling of losing consciousness, but the simple natural need for rest and sleep. Rocksteady leaned his head back slightly, letting the tiredness crash over him, breathing in the cool clean night air, and let himself drift away.

* * *

Angie pushed herself up on her skinned hands and shook her head. The sound of the gunshot was still ringing in her ears. She looked to her right and saw Tyler sitting up with a dazed expression on his face, his hands bloody as well and the knees of his pants torn. They were both right next to the barrier at the edge of the parking lot, where pedestrians were still crowded, watching the action. She heard someone ask her if she was ok, and she nodded as she turned over and sat on her butt, feeling her sore muscles and scraped hands as she took in the scene.

The battle in the center of the parking lot *finally* seemed to be winding down; there were now only about half a dozen of those crazy purple robot ninjas left, battling against the turtles and Bebop, and the supply of new ones had finally dried up. Seeing Bebop across the parking lot, firing his laser at a pair of ninjas, suddenly jump started Angie's brain. Rocksteady! She'd hit the pavement so hard that for a second it had knocked the sense out of her, but now she remembered. Those ninjas had attacked her and Tyler, and then that cop had been seconds way from shooting them, and Rocksteady had suddenly come up and hit them hard, knocking her and Tyler to the ground. And the gun had gone off, she was sure of that. So what'd happened?

She turned to look at Tyler again and saw a look of panic and fear cross his face. The boy immediately jumped to his feet and ran past her. "Rocksteady, no!" He shouted as he passed.

She felt a stab of dread in the pit of her stomach and began to turn around. As she did her eyes caught sight of the cop with the gun, still standing there by the barrier. He had dropped his rifle on the ground, and his whole body was shaking. When his eyes met Angie's she saw fear and guilt in them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I thought he was attacking you." The officer said in a shaky voice as he collapsed against the sawhorse next to him, looking shell shocked.

Angie turned her head and finally spotted Rocksteady, immediately feeling the dread in her stomach grow to outright fear, and she felt a chill run up her body. "Oh my God…" she breathed out fearfully as she got to her feet and moved towards the mutant, to join her brother, who was already crouched by Rocksteady's side.

She could immediately tell that it was bad. The mutant was lying on his left side, a small pool of blood forming in front of him. The front of his yellow t-shirt was now soaked red, and more spattered the brown of his pants. As she got closer she could see more blood on the side of his mouth, and a small trickle coming out of the mutant's nostrils, and her fear deepened. This was really bad! There was also a smear of blood on the temple above his left eyebrow, from a small gash surrounded by purplish swelling skin; Angie realized that he must have hit his head when he fell. His eyes were half open, but they looked glassy and unfocused, like he wasn't really seeing right. She reached out reflexively and grabbed his shoulder, pushing it back slightly. She saw a grimace of pain cross the mutant's face and then his right arm moved away and she saw the source of the blood. There was a large ragged hole in Rocksteady's chest on the left side of his torso, a bullet wound. The sight of it made Angie feel sick to her stomach.

As she drew her hand back Rocksteady's eyes moved and seemed to focus. As they locked on hers she saw a spark of recognition in them, and the mutant lifted his head slightly. "Angie…Tyler…you're…alright…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tank…God…" he continued, and then smiled weakly.

Angie felt sorrow and guilt flow into her as she looked at the mutant. After what she'd said to him earlier, after all that Patrick had put him through, Rocksteady had still done this for her and Tyler. Despite everything he really did care about them. She looked at her brother and saw tears running down his face as he looked down at his friend. "Rocksteady…please don't die." He sobbed through his tears as he reached out to touch the mutant's hand.

Angie blinked back some tears of her own as she put an arm around Tyler. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." She lied in his ear, trying to comfort the boy. She looked up and saw a skinny cop running by, towards the barrier to help the shell-shocked cop who had fired the gun. "Hey, can you help us!" she shouted at him as he passed.

The cop turned and headed towards her. "Are you all right ma'am? What's the pro…" he began, before freezing in surprise at the sight of Rocksteady, and the blood. "Shoot! What happened here?" he asked as he approached.

Angie shot him a desperate look. "We need an ambulance right away! Please hurry!" she intoned.

"Sure! I'm on it!" The cop replied and then turned on his heels and ran for the nearest police car.

Angie turned back to Rocksteady, feeling her worry grow. The mutant seemed to be getting worse. His breathing now sounded more labored and difficult than before, and she could hear a distinctive sucking and whistling sound coming from him every time he breathed in. She leaned in closer and was horrified to realize that the sound was coming from the wound on his chest.

"Hey, Rocksteady where are ya?" she heard a voice call out behind her, and Angie felt dread come over her when she realized it was Bebop. She turned around and spotted the mutant warthog on the other side of the parking lot. The battle was finally under control, with only four foot soldiers left to clear up. She saw Bebop casually smash one with his fist as he glanced around the parking lot, looking for his friend. In only a few seconds he caught sight of her, and though she couldn't see his eyes behind the shades, she could tell he was confused. Then his expression changed, she saw his mouth drop wide in surprise and his whole body tense up in a posture indicating a huge shock. And then he was running, no, CHARGING, across the parking lot at full speed. "ROCKSTEADY!" he bellowed as he ran. The mutant shoved Donatello out of his way, sending the turtle sprawling across the pavement, and the other three leapt to the side as he steamrolled by like a semi-truck. The three foot soldiers turned and leapt toward the oncoming mutant valiantly, but Bebop simply ripped through them with his fists, as if they were made of tissue paper, and didn't even slow down.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Donatello shouted after the mutant.

Michelangelo stored his nunchuks and smiled. "At least he took out the last of the Foot." He added as he bent over to help his companion up.

Raphael peered across the parking lot. "I think something happened over there. Didn't you guys hear that gunshot?" he asked.

Leonardo sheathed his swords and surveyed the area. "Yeah, Raphael I heard it too. I hope everything's alright. Let's go see what got Bebop's attention." He said as he began to walk in the direction the warthog had gone.

Bebop skidded to a halt next to Angie and fell to his knees with a loud thud. "Rocksteady, buddy? Oh God, please no!" he cried out with deep sorrow, as he grabbed one of Rocksteady's hands. His shades had been knocked askew as he ran, and Angie could see the fear and pain in the Bebop's eyes as he looked down at his best friend.

Rocksteady opened his eyes again and looked up at the warthog. He smiled weakly. "Hey…buddy. Glad you're…ok…too…" he whispered between pants, and then coughed, spattering the pavement with droplets of blood.

"Rocksteady…no. Dis can't be happenin…" Bebop replied, letting out a choked sob. He swiped his eyes with his left hand, knocking his shades to the ground, fully uncovering his face. Tears were now running down both sides of his face, leaving dirty streaks in the brown fur.

Behind them the four turtles caught up and surveyed the scene. Identical looks of shock and worry played out on all four of their faces. "Oh no. I can't believe it." Leonardo said soberly.

"I guess this ain't a Saturday morning cartoon anymore…" Raphael quipped weakly.

"No kidding." Michelangelo replied sadly.

Bebop turned his head quickly to look at Angie and the girl jumped a little in surprise to see barely contained rage now burning in the mutant's eyes. "How did dis happen? Who did dis to him?" Bebop shouted in her face, grabbing her shoulder roughly with one hand.

Angie stared back at him,, feeling at a loss, not sure if she should say anything or not. But Tyler answered for her. "It was that fat nervous cop over there" the boy replied, nodding his head in the direction of the sawhorse barrier.

"Tyler!" Angie interjected, and the boy shot her such a furious glare that it sent chills down her spine.

Her brother turned his angry hate filled eyes back to Bebop, meeting the mutant's own angry gaze. "It was him, he shot Rocksteady" the boy continued, his voice filled with righteous anger.

Bebop stood up, turned, and began stalking towards the sawhorse barrier. The fat nervous cop was still sitting against the barrier, but now the skinny cop from earlier was sitting next to him, comforting him with kind words and an arm around his shoulder. The fat cop looked up as Bebop approached, and terror filled his eyes as he caught sight of the approaching mutant. Bebop glared at the man furiously and then looked down at the discarded rifle, still lying in the same spot on the pavement. "You shot my pal?" he asked with a tone that could freeze blood.

The cop stood up and then started trying to climb over the barrier backwards, not taking his eyes off the approaching mutant. "I…I'm sorry. It was an accident!" he stuttered out fearfully.

The skinny cop stepped forward and put one hand on his holstered pistol. "Just stay back. Help's on the way for your friend. Everything is going to be ok." He said sternly.

Bebop looked past the skinny cop as if he wasn't even there. He fixed his gaze firmly on the fat cop, who had crossed the barrier and was now backing his way into the crowd of people. "I'm gonna kill you." Bebop said menacingly, and the cop spun around and ran. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Bebop bellowed in blind rage and rushed forward.

The skinny cop pulled his hand gun in a second flat, but as he brought it up to aim at the charging mutant, Leonardo and Donatello rushed in and grabbed Bebop by the shoulders. "Stop Bebop, this isn't the answer!" Donatello shouted as he struggled against the mutant's strength.

Bebop growled angrily and tried to throw the turtles off. "LET ME GO TOITLES! DAT GUY SHOT ROCKSTEADY! LET GO!" he shouted, nearly wrenching himself out of the turtles' grips. Raphael rushed forward and added his strength to the others' pushing back against Bebop's chest.

Leonardo struggled with Bebop's right arm. "This isn't going to solve anything Bebop, you'll just make it worse!" He reasoned.

Bebop snorted angrily. "Let me go, Toitles or you'll be next!" he shouted.

"Got any more convincing arguments, fearless leader?" Raphael asked , straining with the exertion of holding the angry mutant back.

Michelangelo stepped forward, a determined look on his face. He reached out and grabbed Bebop's head with his hands, forcing the mutant warthog to stare straight into his eyes. "CUT IT OUT Bebop!" The turtle shouted, with such force that the other three turtles looked at him with great surprise. Bebop glared back at the turtle with fury, but his struggled died down. Michelangelo glared back at the mutant. "Just think for a minute dude. You know that this isn't going to solve anything." The turtle intoned in a more even voice.

Bebop grimaced and barred his teeth. "But dat guy…!" he began

"But nothing." Michelangelo replied his voice now soft and compassionate. He smiled kindly and let go of Bebop's face. "Dude, I can imagine how you feel. I'm sure I would be just as angry if I was in the same position. But hurting that guy isn't going to help Rocksteady. It's not going to help anyone."

Bebop's body began to slowly loosen and he slumped over. Leonardo, Donatello, and Rapahel all wearily let go of the mutant, still keeping a close eye on him just in case. The furious anger that had clouded Bebop's eyes before began to fade slightly, as it was replaced by an equal amount of fear and emotional pain. "But…but…" Bebop stuttered looking confused and pitiful.

Michelangelo put a hand gently on the mutant's shoulder. "You're friend needs you. That's what's important now." He said, turning the mutant gently around to face where Rocksteady was lying. "He's hurt real bad. Probably scared out of his mind. You need to stay with him."

Bebop looked at his friend and then back in the direction that the fat cop had retreated. He still looked torn. Leonardo looked him in the eye. "We'll handle this situation, don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of how this happened, I promise. You just be with your friend." He said.

Bebop nodded slowly. "A…alright." He responded finally, before turning and heading back to Rocksteady.

Leonardo let out a sigh of relief as he left. "Wooh, that was close." He said

Raphael smiled and slapped Michelangelo on the shoulder. "Good going dude, you really handled that well." He said.

"Thanks." Michelangelo replied.

Leonardo nodded towards Michelangelo and Donatello. "Raphael and I will talk to the police." He explained. "You and Michelangelo go see if there is anything you can do to help the others." He finished.

"Sure thing, Leonardo" Donatello replied as he and Michelangelo turned to go.

Back with Rocksteady, Bebop knelt down next to Angie and resumed observation of his friend. Fresh tears began to run down his face as he reached out and stroked the side of Rocksteady's head affectionately. "Please hold on, pal." He pleaded, before sniffing loudly and wiping his eyes with his other hand.

Angie reached out and put her hand on the Mutant's shoulder. "An ambulance is on the way. It will be here soon, don't worry." She said, trying to be as comforting as possible, pushing down her own worry and fear.

Bebop reached up and grasped her hand in his, squeezing it hard, enough to hurt, but Angie didn't cry out or pull away. He turned his head towards her, fixing his anguished eyes on hers. "But what if it don't make it in time?!" he asked desperately.

"It will, don't worry" she said soothingly, squeezing his hand back. "Everything will be alright." She continued, hoping desperately that she wouldn't be made a liar.

Rocksteady's breathing was even worse now, it seemed now that he was almost gasping, and that horrible sucking noise was still there. Bebop heard the change and let go of Angie's hand as he turned back to lean over his friend. Terror and panic invaded his whole body. "Something's wrong, he can't breathe! He aint gettin any air!" The mutant turned back to look at Angie, his eyes desperate and pleading. "What are we gonna do? Should we give him CPR or sometin?" he asked, and Tyler turned and looked at her as well.

Angie felt absolutely helpless. "I don't know." She replied, trying to fight back her own tears.

Bebop turned back to look at his friend and began to cry harder. "I don't know what to do." He sobbed hopelessly.

Behind them, Michelangelo turned to face his companion. "Is there anything you can do to help, Donatello?" he asked the other turtle.

Donatello shook his head sadly. "I'm a scientist, not a doctor, Michelangelo."

"I wish master Splinter was here. He'd know what to do." Michelangelo intoned sadly.

"Yeah, and he's studied medicine and first aid, so at least he'd be more equipped." Donatello added.

An alarm bell went off in Angie's head. What the purple turtle just said had triggered something in her memory. Studied medicine? First aid? The light bulb went on and Angie jumped to her feet, startling both Bebop and Tyler. "I know someone who can help!" She exclaimed with enthusiasm, smiling for the first time in a while.

"What, you do?" asked Bebop.

Tyler looked up at her with desperate hope. "Really?" he asked, jumping to his feet as well.

Angie nodded and looked at Bebop. "You stay here with Rocksteady." She said. "I'll be right back with help, I promise. Come on Tyler." She said, motioning for her brother to follow as she headed towards the barrier. The boy crossed his fingers and chased after her.

Angie went around the police barrier, with Tyler right behind her, and began pushing her way through the crowd. "Excuse me, let me through, this is an emergency!" she shouted at the people, as she moved through the tight pack of people. Many who had been close enough to see what was going on shouted encouragements to her or offered to try and help the situation, but she ignored the cries, knowing exactly where she was going. Finally she pushed between two large men and caught sight of her friends Patrick and Tara standing near the back of the throng of onlookers. "Guys!" she shouted as she and Tyler ran towards them.

Tara's let out a squeal of relief when she saw them and ran forward to enfold Angie in a tight hug. "Where the hell did you go Angie!" she shouted as she squeezed her friend. "Patrick and I were beside ourselves. You disappeared through the crowd and we could barely see anything, and then there was that gunshot." She caught sight of Tyler over Angie's shoulder and her eyes bugged out in surprise. "TYLER!" she shouted loudly in Angie's ear, letting go of the girl as she grabbed the boy instead. "You're alright! We were so worried. You can't imagine how freaked out Angie was when you disappeared!" she exclaimed.

Patrick looked at the two more seriously. "What happened? How did you find Tyler?" He asked.

Angie looked at her friends with an all business expression on her face. "Sorry I ran off. I saw Tyler and had to get to him. Long story, tell you the details later, but right now…" she turned her head and looked Patrick right in the eyes. "I need your help. Someone's been shot."

Patrick's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Me? But…" he shook his head. "I'm not qualified, I'm just a student."

Angie shook her head. "You're all that we have right now. The ambulance is on its way, but I'm worried it might not make it in time." She said, pleading to him with her eyes. "Please, Patrick, just try."

Tyler looked up at the man, tears in his eyes. "Please, our friend needs help!" he asked.

Patrick looked like he was thinking for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, I'll try to do what I can, but I'm not promising anything." He replied. Angie smiled with relief.

Tara patted Patrick on the shoulder. "That's the spirit Puddy. Have some confidence." She said.

Angie nodded. "Ok, I'll take you to him." She turned to Tara, who was still half hugging Tyler. "Watch Tyler for me Tara." She said.

Tyler's eyes bugged wide and he pulled away from the girl and came towards his sister. "What!? No! I want to come to, I want to help!" He cried.

Angie shook her head and then knelt down in front of her brother, putting a hand on his shoulder as she looked him in the eyes. "Tyler, you stay here." She said to him, speaking as if she was talking to a small child and not a twelve year old preteen. "Patrick will need space to examine him, it won't help for all of us to be crowding around."

"But…" the boy interjected, tears running down his face.

Angie pulled her brother into a hug, squeezing him tightly. "Don't worry. I promise he'll be ok. Just wait here for me like a big boy, ok?" She asked, him pulling away. Tyler looked ready to object again, but then finally nodded and stepped back to join Tyler. Angie stood up and looked at her friend. "Don't let him out of your sight, you hear me, Tara? She asked.

Tara smiled back and nodded. "Don't worry." She said.

Angie looked at her brother and smiled confidently. "It will be alright. Believe it." She said. The boy wiped the tears from his face and nodded, giving her a weak smile and a thumbs up. Angie turned and headed back into the crowd, leading Patrick behind her.

Bebop was still sitting faithfully by his friend's side when Angie and Patrick arrived. Patrick's eyes widened when he caught sight of Rocksteady. "Him!?" he asked, looking at Angie with surprise.

The woman nodded. "Yeah, him. Long story. Tell you later. But it's alright." She said.

Patrick looked a little more reluctant, but still nodded and continued forward. Bebop turned his head at the sound of their approaching footsteps. He looked relieved to see Angie, but then his eyes fell on Patrick. "You!?" he growled, his eyes narrowing with anger and hatred. "You stay away from us! You've done enough already tonight!" he shouted, getting to his feet, balling his hands into fists.

Patrick stepped back fearfully, and the turtles tensed up in preparation to step in, but Angie got to mutant first. "Stop Bebop, it's ok." She said, speaking in almost the same tone she'd used on Tyler. "Patrick is here to help. He's a medical student." She explained.

Bebop looked at her wearily and then over to Patrick. The man tried to smile and held up his hands, to show he was unarmed this time. "She's telling the truth. I can help. Or at least try." He said, coming a few steps closer. "I can't promise any miracles, but I'll do my best."

Bebop looked between Angie and Patrick, searching their eyes for any sign of insincerity. Finally he nodded reluctantly, the fight going out of his body again. "Ok. If you can help him, I don't care who you are." He said.

Patrick nodded. "I understand. I'll do my best." He said. Bebop allowed himself to be pulled back by Angie as Patrick stepped forward and knelt down next to Rocksteady and began to examine him. Bebop and Angie both knelt down together closer to Rocksteady's feet, and watched the man work.

Patrick bent over the prone mutant and examined the wound, prodding gently around the chest area, feeling and listening for any other abnormalities. He quickly noted the sucking sound coming from the wound, and Rocksteady's very labored breathing. He glanced over the mutant's shoulder and noted that there was no exit wound for the bullet, it was still inside him. He finally sat back on his heels and rubbed his forehead, thinking. "Pneumothorax…" he suddenly whispered to himself.

"What!?" asked Bebop, looking panicked. That sounded really bad, whatever it was.

Patrick ignored the other mutant's question and continued to think. Suddenly a light went on in his eyes and he turned to Angie, a look of astonishment on his face. "I think I actually CAN help!" He exclaimed.

"Really, that's great!" Angie exclaimed, feeling relief wash over her.

"Yeah, but first…" he looked at Bebop, fixing him with a serious no-nonsense gaze. "We need to sit him up, it will help him breath. He's going to suffocate faster laying on his side like that." He explained.

Bebop didn't hesitate. He moved forward quickly, grabbing Rocksteady under the armpits, and hauled the other mutant up into a sitting position. Rocksteady cried out loudly in pain, but Bebop didn't flinch or let go. He dragged the Rhino a few feet and leaned him up against the police car that was parked next to the barrier. Patrick followed. "Good, now we need something to cover the wound." He explained.

Bebop immediately searched his pockets. Finding nothing, he looked around in desperation. "I had a bandanna before…" he mumbled to himself, as he continued looking around. Then he stopped, looking down at his chest, and the light came on in his eyes. Bebop pulled off the red vest he always wore and folded it quickly into a large thick pad, before pressing it hard against Rocksteady's chest with his left hand.

Patrick nodded in approval. "Good, keep the pressure on it, we want the wound to be sealed as much as possible, so no more air can get into his chest, and it will control the bleeding too." He explained, climbing to his feet. "I need to get something from my car. I'll be right back, I promise" He said before he turned and raced off.

Angie watched him go and then turned back to Rocksteady and Bebop. She felt a new wave of relief and hope wash over here when she realized that Rocksteady's breathing now sounded less labored. He was still panting shallowly, but the sucking sound was gone, and each breath sounded less wheezy and strained compared to before.

Bebop smiled and let out a small relieved laugh. "It's working. Dat guy was right." He said his voice full of surprise. Fresh tears began to slide down his face, but this time tears of relief. "Tank God." He whispered quietly. After a moment Bebop reached out with his right hand and cradled the back of Rocksteady's head gently. Still keeping pressure on the wound with his left hand, the warthog leaned over his friend and touched his forehead to Rocksteady's. "Stay wit me brother. Don't give up. You're gonna be ok, just hang on. Help will be here soon." He whispered his voice barely audible over the other sounds around them.

Watching the scene, Angie felt an acute sense of awkwardness and almost embarrassment. This was a moment between two close friends that she could never fully share in or understand, no matter how much she might get to know them in the future. She was struck once again at just how deep the bond between these two mutants ran, and the sensation brought renewed tears to her eyes.

Bebop continued to hold his friend close, tears running down his face and dripping onto Rocksteady's snout. "Don't leave me brother, please. Just stay wit us. Hold on." he spoke directly to Rocksteady. The mutant didn't stir at all, and his breathing was starting to sound bad again. Bebop sat up and Angie was surprised to see anger, mixed with fear, in his eyes. The next time he spoke his voice was harsh and hard. "Do you hear me, Ivan!?" he growled, raising his voice. "I said don't you dare give up! You stay wit us, or else! You aint got permission to die!"

To Angie's surprise, Rocksteady stirred. He let out a pained groan and then opened his eyes halfway, looking at his friend with what appeared to be…annoyance? "Shut up…Anton. I told you…never…call me…dat…" He whispered between breaths.

Bebop laughed with relief and a smile broke out on his face. "I'll call ya whatevah I want, horn head." He said, wiping tears from his face with his right hand. "If you got a problem wit dat, you bettah stick around and stop me yoirself." He continued affectionately.

Rocksteady smiled and let out a small laugh that obviously pained him. "I'll try…" he replied weakly.

Bebop nodded and squeezed Rocksteady's shoulder gently with his right hand. "You do dat. Hang on. Help will be here soon, just stay awake till den ok?" he asked. Rocksteady nodded and rested his head back against the car. After a moment Bebop moved forward again and put his right arm around his friend's shoulders, pulling him close as he leaned in and touched his forehead againt the side of Roskteady's head, above his ear. His body shook as his breath hitched as he held his wounded friend close. "I'm right here buddy. I won't leave you, no matter what, I promise." He whispered.

Rocksteady nodded weakly and closed his eyes again, but Angie could tell that he was more conscious now than he had been before. After a moment, she saw the mutant begin to move his right arm slowly along his leg, towards the right pocket of his pants. It took a minute, but he finally worked his large hand into the pocket and pulled something out. Exhausted from the effort, Rocksteady let his hand lay there on his leg, though his fist clenched tightly around the object he'd retrieved. Angie leaned forward, curious, and saw that the item was a rosary chain; she could see the small wooden cross hanging down against Rocksteady's knuckles. She looked up and noticed Rocksteady's lips begin to move, as if reciting something. Angie leaned in slightly and Bebop sat back up and focused his attention more, both waiting to see if he was trying to say something to them, and Angie felt her heart stabbed to the core when she understood what the mutant doing.

"Hail Mary, full of grace…da Lord is wit thee. Please pray for us sinners now…and in da hour of our deaths… Hail Mary…full of grace, da Lord is wit thee. Please pray for us…sinners now, and in…da hour of our deaths…"

Angie sat back up and felt tears coming to her eyes. Rocksteady was praying. She looked over at Bebop and saw that the mutant seemed just as surprised and moved as she felt. Fresh tears were flowing down his face again. She turned back to look at Rocksteady and felt great compassion for him, and great shame and guilt over her behavior that night. She had been completely wrong about him, even if she had been "right" at the same time. She watched him repeat the prayer one more time, and then she reached out and took the hand holding the rosary in her own, enfolding her hands around his gently, hoping that she could convey her warmth and support to the wounded man in front of her. She closed her eyes and silently said her own prayer, hoping that everything would be alright. Bebop reached over and put his right hand over hers as well, adding his own warmth and support. He smiled at her warmly and then turned his head to continue watching his friend. It might have just been her imagination, but Angie thought that suddenly Rocksteady was breathing a little easier, that a tension had gone out of his body, like the prayer he'd just said for himself had healed something in him, and she smiled at the thought. For the first time she started to genuinely believe it might be alright after all.

She heard footsteps pounding on the pavement towards them and then Patrick was there, skidding to a halt right behind Bebop. "Sorry for taking so long." He said as he dropped to his knees between them. He had in his hand a clear plastic bag with something inside it. He tore the plastic open with his teeth and pulled out an item that kind of looked like a valve with a capped syringe on the end. Patrick pulled the cap off, revealing the wickedly long needle and began to move towards Rocksteady.

Panic flashed in Bebop's eyes and he grabbed Patrick's arm roughly. "What do you tink your doin!" he growled.

Patrick pulled away from the mutant, and glared at him sternly. "I have to let the air out of his chest, it's crushing his lungs. This will help, I promise!" He replied, looking the mutant straight in the eye.

Angie took Bebop's arm gently and pulled it away from Patrick. "It's ok Bebop. He knows what he's doing." She said soothingly.

Bebop looked at his friend protectively and then back to Patrick and his giant needle. Finally he sighed and nodded and scooted back to give the other man room to work, thought he kept the makeshift bandage pressed to Rocksteady's chest with his left hand.

Patrick turned and looked over Rocksteady's chest once more, to gauge the correct spot. Rocksteady opened his eyes and watched the man wearily. Finally Patrick chose a spot a little higher and to the left of the bullet hole and stabbed the needle into the mutant's chest all the way to the hilt. Rocksteady gritted his teeth and grunted in pain, but Patrick continued his work. He twisted the valve lever on the side of the device and a loud hiss of air issued from the opening on the end. Almost immediately Rocksteady's breathing began to deepen and stabilize.

Angie felt an unbelievable wave of relief sweep over her and she laughed out loud from the break in tension. "It worked! It worked! Patrick, you're a genius!" she cried out, hugging the man roughly around the neck.

"Of course it worked." Patrick said unflappably, as if he did this kind of thing every day. "And I'm not a genius; it's just the typical medical procedure for this kind of thing."

Michelangelo and Donatello came up behind them, smiling. "Good going dude!" Michelangelo said as he patted Patrick on the shoulder.

A huge relieved smile broke out on Bebop's face as he watched his friend's breathing return to normal. He turned to look at Patrick, with an expression of complete amazement and awe. "H…How did you do dat? What was wrong wit him?" He asked.

Patrick pushed his glasses up on his nose and took on a lecturing tone. "Pneumothorax. A collapsed lung. Air was getting into his chest cavity through the wound, and it was preventing his lungs from expanding like they should." He explained, as he nodded towards the needle and valve sticking out of Rocksteady's chest. "I just had to let the air out, so his lungs could expand." He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked over the patient. "It's not a permanent fix, but it will help until we can get him to a hospital."

Bebop turned his attention back to Rocksteady. He took Rocksteady's left hand in his right, raising it up and pressing the back of his hand against his forehead tenderly. He closed his eyes and wept. "You're gonna be alright buddy. You're gonna be alright." He sobbed weakly.

Donatello looked at Patrick with slight suspicion. "Where did you get that thing anyway." He asked.

Patrick smiled and shook his head. "You won't believe it, but I had it in my car the whole time. This morning one of my professors asked me to pick up some boxes of medical supplies to bring to his class tomorrow. I had to take inventory to make sure we got everything, so I knew exactly what was in the boxes, including that." He explained, pointing to the valve. "All the boxes are still in the back of my car now. I figure the professor won't mind that I used some, considering the circumstances." He shook his head, looking amazed. "Imagine if I hadn't been here and if I hadn't picked up those supplies this morning. Pretty amazing coincidence isn't it?"

Angie smiled, thinking about Rocksteady's rosary bracelet, and the prayer he'd said. "I don't think it was coincidence at all." She responded. Patrick gave her a puzzled sideways look, but Angie just shook her head and kept smiling. "You probably wouldn't understand." She said, glancing at Bebop, the two exchanging a brief knowing look.

Just then they all heard the distinct sound of sirens blaring out over the murmur of the onlookers and the nearest cop shouted "The ambulance is coming!"

"About time." Donatello said with annoyance.

"No kidding!" Michelangelo echoed.

Patrick nodded and climbed to his feet, wiping his hands off. "Well, I guess my work here is done. Time for the real experts to take over." He said.

Angie felt relief again and then a sudden wave of exhaustion as she slumped down and leaned against Bebop, putting her arm around his shoulder. _"Finally…"_ she thought to herself as she leaned her head against the mutant's large solid forearm and closed her eyes, allowing herself a brief moment of rest.


	15. Chapter 14: At the Hospital

-14-

At the Hospital

It was 2 AM in the morning and the tired disheveled group of mismatched humans and mutants sitting in the stark white hospital hallway, nervously pacing or slumped in chairs, were still waiting for word on Rocksteady's condition. Angie sat on one side of the hallway, nervously biting her lip and completely ignoring the magazine she'd had open on her lap for the past hour; she'd absent mindedly flipped back in forth between the same four pages multiple times already. Patrick stood near the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall, and looking somewhat annoyed and impatient to be here. He'd taken Tara home after the ambulance left and then come to the hospital with Angie and Tyler, figuring that the doctors or police would probably have some questions for him, but so far he hadn't really been needed. Tyler was stretched out on two chairs next to Angie, finally sound asleep hours after his usual bed time. He'd wanted to stay awake until they heard from the surgeons but the exhaustion of the day and the late hour had proven too much for even this determined twelve year old and he finally curled up and fallen asleep around midnight. Angie promised to wake him if any news came, but she thought she would probably just let him sleep as long as possible. Whether good or bad, it wouldn't make a difference for him to hear the news tonight.

Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo sat a few chairs to the left of Angie, all three of them wearily watching the fourth turtle Leonardo pacing back and forth in front of them, nervously fiddling with the hilts of his swords every few minutes. They were all waiting for their master to arrive, but Leonardo couldn't seem to sit still like the other three. Raphael frowned as Leonardo passed him again. "Dude could you just chill out already?" He asked in annoyance. "Master Splinter will be here when he's here. You're driving us nuts with that pacing, you know?"

"I know Raphael." Leonardo replied, looking a bit ashamed, but still extremely nervous. "It's not really that. I just can't take all this waiting, in general. We've been here forever."

"Well could you at least try to sit down for a while?" asked Donatello. "You're wearing a path in the linoleum"

Michelangelo raised his head and glanced across the hall, a glum look on his face. "If you can't stand the waiting, imagine how he feels." He said.

Leonardo turned around to look at Bebop, sitting by himself on the opposite wall, and a somber look came over his face. "Yeah…" he said, mostly to himself.

Bebop hadn't said much to any of them since filling them in on what was happening when they all arrived at the hospital. Back at the parking lot, he'd helped the paramedics lift Rocksteady onto a stretcher and into the ambulance (the mutant was too heavy for the rather skinny EMTs to lift on their own) and road to the hospital with them. They'd found him in that exact spot when they arrived and he'd barely moved since. He was just sitting there, holding his head in his hands, arms propped up on his knees, staring off into space. It was like he was in shock. A rather large doctor passing by had lent him a Hawaiian print shirt to wear for the time being, since his vest was ruined, and offered to take a look at his burned right foot. Bebop had only grunted in assent and seemed completely out of it even as the doctor cleaned and bandaged the wound. His signature purple shades, returned to him by Michelangelo, hung from the front pocket of the shirt, completely forgotten.

Angie had just finished working herself up to go sit by Bebop and get him talking when one of the strangest sights the woman had ever seen stepped out of the elevator down the hall to their right. Even though the turtles had told her about their master, Angie was still a bit startled to see a giant human sized rat wearing a purple kimono step through the open elevator doors and turn towards them. The long twitchy nose, and especially the huge hairless tail dragging on the floor, sent a brief momentary shudder through Angie's body; she'd never liked rats, even normal sized ones. But then the rat turned his head, catching sight of the four turtles, and he smiled a very warm, very kind, human smile, his eyes lighting up in such a way that Angie knew instantly this mutant was not someone to fear. "My students, there you are." He called as he ambled towards them, helping himself along with a large walking stick.

Leonardo turned around, a smile breaking out on his face. "Master Splinter!" he called as the mutant rat approached them. The other three turtles all stood up deferentially and a moment later all four bowed to their master in unison. The rat smiled politely and inclined his head in return.

"Hey, where's April?" Asked Michelangelo as he straightened up. "Didn't she drive you?"

"April is downstairs talking to one of the ambulance paramedics. She will be up as soon as she is done." Splinter replied, and then smiled with slight embarrassment. "We both apologize for not arriving sooner, but April also had to stop at the crime scene and interview some of the remaining officers."

Donatello shook his head and smiled. "It's ok, Sensei. We understand." He said.

Raphael smiled and poked Leonardo on the shoulder playfully. "All of us except this guy." He quipped, prompting smiles from Michelangelo and Donatello and an annoyed look from Leonardo. "Fearless leader here seemed like he was going to pop a blood vessel sooner or later." Raphael continued.

"Alright Raphael, knock it off." Leonardo replied with annoyance, slapping Raphael's hand away lightly. He looked at his master and smiled sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess I was a little wound up. But it's been a pretty stressful night." He said.

"Indeed." Splinter replied, nodding his head. He then turned, fixing his dark eyes on Angie for the first time, and the woman felt a small jolt of nervousness hit her. "And you must be Angela and Tyler." He said, smiling kindly down at them, speaking softly as to not wake the boy. "I have already heard a great deal about your brother from my students. It is an honor to meet you tonight."

Angie felt herself blush slightly with embarrassment. "Y…yeah thanks. You can just call me Angie." She replied.

"I see. And you may call me Splinter." He replied, bowing his head slightly to her. Angie was caught off guard momentarily and then quickly returned the bow.

"The quit one over there is my friend Patrick." Angie said, nodding her head to the right. "He helped with first aid and stuff until the ambulance arrived."

Splinter nodded and turned his gaze towards Patrick, who still stood in his place further down the hall, watching the new arrival wearily. Splinter seemed to sense that the man didn't really have a desire to engage and simply inclined his head towards him in acknowledgment. Patrick smiled slightly and inclined his head in return, not moving from his place. Splinter then turned to face the last member of their small group. It took a moment for Bebop to notice Splinter was there, and then his eyes rose to meet the rat's and he sat up straight. He looked at the Splinter with mix of trepidation and weariness on his face, as if he was expecting a severe scolding from the other mutant. After a moment, Splinter smiled, his features softening as the look in his eyes conveyed an aura of supreme kindness and warmth. "I can barely imagine how painful this night has been for you, Bebop." He said gently. "I want you to know, regardless of what news we hear tonight, that my students and I will do all that we can to help you and Rocksteady during this time of dramatic change in your lives."

For a moment Bebop looked startled and confused, as if he couldn't comprehend what Splinter had just said to him. "Wha…really?" he asked, shifting his eyes from Splinter to the four turtles behind him, looking for any sign of dishonesty.

Splinter smiled knowingly and nodded. "Yes. You both have made a very important decision for the direction of your lives, and both of you have already paid a heavy price for it. My students and I would be remiss if we did not offer you our assistance."

Bebop looked like he didn't even fully understand everything Splinter had said, but he slowly nodded his head. "Tanks…" he said, his expression betraying a great conflict of emotion inside him. The mutant looked down at his hands, at a loss for a proper response.

"As our first offer of tangible aid…" Splinter continued. "I want you to know that you and Rocksteady are welcome to stay with us through the recovery period and until you can find a suitable place of residence for yourselves."

"WHAT!?" Leonardo exclaimed, startling everyone in the room.

"Geez, chill out Leonardo. I think you need to cut back on the caffeine." Raphael groused, rubbing his head.

Splinter turned and raised one eyebrow with scrutiny. "Is there a problem, Leonardo?"

Leonardo looked simultaneously embarrassed by his outburst and determined to speak his mind. "I'm sorry I yelled sensei, but…you can't really be serious about what you just said." He argued.

Splinter narrowed his eyes. "Of course I am serious, or else I would not have spoken." he replied.

Bebop looked at Leonardo with distrust and a bit of disgust. "What's da mattah shell-back? You tink your home is too good for us?" he asked with an edge in his voice.

Leonardo ignored Bebop and focused all his attention towards Splinter. "I just don't see how we can trust them just yet, sensei." He explained. "We have no idea if they're really sincere about having changed." He turned his head and looked at Bebop with obvious distrust. "For all we know this whole thing could be a plot by Shredder to have them infiltrate our home!"

Bebop suddenly stood up, causing Splinter to take a step back. His eyes burned with anger and his body began to shake with emotion. "Don't mention dat mad man in front of us again!" he said menacingly, angry tears flowing down his face. "You tink dis was all just some stupid plan!? You tink I woulda let Rocksteady get hurt like dat on poipose!?" He raised his hands, curling them into fists. "TAKE IT BACK!" he demanded angrily.

Leonardo tensed into a defense pose, eyeing the warthog wearily. "I just can't trust you guys yet." He declared. "We've been through too much, fighting you all these years. And you were trying to steal something tonight, remember?"

Rage flashed in Bebop's eyes. "I said, take it back…NOW!" He shouted as he lunged forward, aiming a punch at Leonardo's head.

The turtle deftly grabbed the attacking mutant's arm and pulled it behind his back, causing Bebop to howl in pain. Leonardo's free hand instantly went for his katana, when Splinter's loud stern voice rang out in the hallway. "Leonardo, STOP! Let him go." The master commanded his student.

Leonardo looked at Splinter in confusion. "But sensei..." he began

"NOW, Leonardo!" Splinter commanded again harshly, his eyes suddenly hard and unyielding.

Leonardo knew the look and the tone of voice well. He obeyed immediately, removing his hand from the hilt of the sword and letting go of Bebop's arm. The warthog instantly backed off, rubbing his sore elbow as he gave the turtle an extremely angry glare. Splinter stepped forward and fixed Leonardo with a very disapproving look. "May I speak with you for a moment Leonardo? In private?" he asked, his polite tone of voice clashing with the displeasure in his eyes.

Leonardo swallowed hard and nodded, resigned. "Yes, sensei." He responded.

* * *

Splinter turned and led his pupil down the hall and around a corner, out of earshot of the rest of the group. As soon as they were alone, Splinter fixed Leonardo with his most serious stare. "What is troubling you tonight, my student?" he asked. "I would have expected an outburst like that from Raphael or even possibly Donatello, but not from you."

Leonardo looked back at his master and tried to plead his case. "Like I said, I'm just not ready to trust those two yet. This is all so sudden; we have no way of knowing if they're really sincere or if this is some kind of trap." He explained.

Splinter nodded. "I understand. I know that after all the years of animosity between us and Shredder's henchmen that things will not be able to change in an instant. I am not asking you or the others to trust Bebop and Rocksteady right away; they will have to earn that trust over time." Leonardo smiled, until Splinter narrowed his eyes at him sternly. "What I am asking is for you to extend to them a measure of mercy and understanding, and to look at the situation logically." He continued.

"What do you mean sensei? Leonardo asked.

"Consider Leonardo." Splinter explained. "Rocksteady was very badly hurt tonight, was he not? It was not even clear at first if he would be able to survive. And you still have not heard back from the doctors on his prognosis, correct?"

Leonardo nodded. "Yes, that's true."

"So, do you believe that either Rocksteady or Bebop would deliberately let themselves be hurt so badly, to the point where their lives were at stake, just for the chance that we might invite them to our lair?" asked Splinter pointedly.

Leonardo considered, and then slowly shook his head. "No, I guess not. It doesn't really seem their style."

"Then also consider this, Leonardo." Splinter continued. "You have been observing Bebop for longer than I have tonight. Tell me, does his concern for his friend's wellbeing strike you in any way as being feigned or disingenuous?" he asked.

Leonardo looked back over his shoulder in the general direction of the rest of the group. Slowly a look of donning realization and shame began to play across the turtle's face. He turned back to Splinter, his eyes downcast. "No, sensei, not at all." He replied soberly. "The guy is obviously really torn up about all this. He's scared to death for Rocksteady." The turtle looked down at his feet and grimaced. "I…I really messed up didn't I?" he asked.

Splinter looked at Leonardo and smiled gently. "I think you know what you must do now." He stated

Leonardo nodded. "Yes Sensei." He replied, as he began to turn. Then a thought occurred to him and he turned back, looking concerned. "Something like this may not be Bebop and Rocksteady's style, but it certainly could be Shredder's. It's still possible that he might be using those two to get to us, even without them knowing it." He said.

Splinter nodded, looking serious. "Yes, that is a possibility. Oruku Saki certainly is capable of such cruelty and manipulation. We will have to be careful to see that his mutants turn over their communicators to Donatello, and do not have any hidden trackers or such devices on their persons or clothing." He said, but then gave a small smile. "But I think even that is unlikely, my student. If what you told me on the phone is accurate, it sounded like Shredder was mainly concerned with acquiring the computer component and nothing else. I do not believe that what happened afterwards was part of any plan."

Leonardo nodded again, looking somewhat placated. "I'm sure you're right sensei." He replied, before turning to look back down the hall. The turtle swallowed loudly, looking very nervous. "I guess I better get this over with." He said, trying to psych himself up. Splinter nodded and smiled at Leonardo, patting his arm gently to encourage him, and the two mutants walked back around the corner to rejoin the group.

* * *

Splinter and Leonardo were only gone for about three minutes, and when they returned, Angie immediately noticed a change in Leonardo's demeanor. The mutant turtle now looked rather defeated and downcast, and the woman marveled that the rat must have given him quit a stern talking to. Splinter stopped in front of Bebop, and the mutant looked at him wearily. "Bebop, my student has something he would like to say to you." Splinter told him, before turning to look at Leonardo expectantly.

Leonardo nodded to Splinter and approached Bebop, who immediately cringed back slightly, looking at the Turtle with great mistrust and hurt in his eyes. A twinge went through Leonardo at the sight of Bebop's reaction, and his eyes fell in shame. The other three turtles and Angie all watched, and it seemed like they were all holding their breath, waiting to hear what Leonardo would say.

"Bebop I…I'm very sorry for what I said before, and I'm sorry I hurt your arm." Leonardo spoke, his voice small and meek, a stark contrast to his earlier aggression. "I was completely out of line. A guy would have to be blind not to see how worried you are for your friend, but I guess that's exactly what I was." After a moment Leonardo closed his eyes and bowed low. "Please forgive me." He asked.

Bebop looked like he didn't know how to react. "Um…ok…I guess." He finally replied.

Leonardo straightened up and smiled with relief. "Thank you. And I promise that my fellow turtles and I will do our best to help you and Rocksteady in any way we can, and that you are welcome to stay with us if you need to." He continued as he extended his hand.

Bebop looked at the hand with a bit of distrust and then slowly reached out and gripped it. "Alright, dat sounds…ok." He replied, and then smiled weakly. He let go of Leonardo's hand and turned his attention to the other turtles and Splinter. "Um…I tink I'll probably be stayin with Angie and Tyler for now, but if…" he suddenly grimaced and shook his head, looking angrily at himself. "When…" he amended, "When Rocksteady gets out, maybe we will take dat offer. I don't tink Angie's got enough room for da both of us." He finished.

Angie nodded. "Yeah, we don't have any guest rooms, and only one couch." She replied.

"So then it is settled" Splinter said, smiling at Bebop. "You and Rocksteady will stay with us until Rocksteady is healed and you can both get on your feet."

Bebop nodded and then something caught his attention and he turned to look down the hall. Recognition donned on his face and he stood up suddenly. Angie and the others turned their heads to see what had caught Bebop's attention and saw a doctor strolling towards them, clipboard in hand, an unreadable expression on his face. They all knew in an instant what this meant. Angie stood up and they all moved forward towards the doctor, with Bebop at the head of the group. The warthog looked at the doctor with trepidation, obviously terrified, but still eager for news. "So…how is he doc?" he asked.

The doctor looked surprised and just slightly unnerved at the sight of so many mutants standing in front of him, eagerly anticipating his words. After a moment though his expression changed and a light came on in his eyes. "I didn't know the famous turtles were going to be joining you tonight, Mr. Bebop." He said, smiling slightly. "This has certainly been a very unique evening. I have my first ever mutant patient and now there are even more in my waiting room." Raphael made a face at the remark, and Donatello smacked him on the shoulder, but the doctor paid them no attention, instead he turned to focus his full attention towards Bebop, fixing the mutant with a serious look. Bebop swallowed hard, and Angie could see him brace himself for terrible news. The doctor stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, and then a smile broke out on his face. "It was a close call, but I think you're half-Rhino friend is going to be just fine." He said.

For a moment Bebop's expression didn't change, and Angie wondered if he'd even heard the doctor at all. Then a huge grin broke out on his face and tears formed at the corner of his eyes. "R…REALLY!? Dat's great!" he exclaimed, relief washing over his whole face and body. He took a small step back and his leg buckled. Angie stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder before he could fall. The mutant leaned against her, he seemed to have lost the ability to stand momentarily. He looked at the doctor with such sincere unguarded gratitude, tears running down his face. "Dat's so great.. Tank God…" he said with relief.

The four turtles crowded around the mutant, congratulating him and patting him on the shoulder. Leonardo even grabbed his other arm and helped him steady himself again. Patrick walked up behind the group and directly addressed the doctor. "So what was the prognosis?" he asked. Bebop heard the question and turned his head back to the doctor to hear his response.

The Doctor looked at Patrick. "You were the one who gave aid to the patient before the medics arrived, correct?" he asked, and Patrick nodded. The Doctor smiled at him. "You were right. Pneumothorax. The bullet punctured his left lung. We inserted a chest tube to remove all the excess air and blood from the chest cavity and lung, and performed surgery to repair the damage as best we could." He looked at Patrick seriously. "It was fortunate that you were there, son. If you hadn't performed a needle decompression on him, things could have turned out much worse." Patrick nodded and blushed slightly, looking somewhat pleased to be praised by a real surgeon.

"Does he need any blood or stuff like dat?" Bebop asked. "Cause if he does, I can…" he continued, pushing up one sleeve of his shirt.

"Uh, that probably wouldn't be a good idea." Donatello interrupted.

Bebop turned and looked at him, suddenly angry. "Why not!? You sayin I aint good enough or sometin?" he growled.

Donatello backpedaled, raising his hands. "No, nothing like that! It's just that, with you two being mutated from different animals, there's no telling how he'd react to a transfusion of your blood or tissue. It probably wouldn't be safe for him."

The doctor nodded. "Your Turtle friend is very astute." He said, causing Donatello to blush slightly. "It would be risky to allow you to donate for your friend." Bebop's face fell with disappointment and worry. The doctor tried to smile reassuringly and patted the mutant once on the arm. "But don't worry about that. He's received all the care he needs already."

Bebop looked slightly placated, as relief came over his face and he nodded. After a moment, something else occurred to him. "So then, did you get the bullet outta him?' he asked the doctor with curiosity.

The doctor chuckled slightly and shook his head. "No, that's just movie stuff. Usually it's a lot more dangerous to go digging a bullet out than to just leave it alone. It's not hurting anything now."

Bebop looked like he didn't entirely believe the doctor, but decided not to press the question. "So , how long will he have ta stay here?" he asked instead.

The doctor thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "Oh, I think he could probably leave in maybe three or four days." He said.

Bebop's eyes bugged out in surprise. "Really? Dat soon?!" he asked.

The doctor chuckled again and nodded. "It's not that surprising. Your friend may have been shot, but he's in pretty good health, and built like a tank. I think his healing and recovery should go smoothly, and he'll be able to get around on his own pretty quick. Of course he'll still need a lot of rest and time before he's back to 100%, but he can have that at home"

Bebop nodded and smiled with relief. "Dat's great to hear. So…can I see him?" he asked

"Right now he's unconscious and heavily sedated, so you can't talk to him or anything, but yes, you can go see him." The doctor replied, smiling. He turned and nodded down the hallway where he had come from. "His room is down that corridor to the right. 2-A." He turned and looked at the group very sternly. "But you are not all to go into his room at once. One at a time only, do I make myself clear?" he asked.

Splinter nodded. "We understand perfectly." He said with the utmost politeness, bowing his head slightly. "Thank you for your hard work, and for coming to inform us in person of our friend's condition." He continued.

The doctor looked very surprised at receiving such a polite statement from a giant talking rat. He bowed his head awkwardly in return, blushing slightly. "No problem. This has definitely been one of my most memorable nights on the job in my whole career. My family is not going to believe it when I tell them." He said.

The doctor nodded towards the remainder of the group and then began to turn to leave, until Bebop grabbed his shoulder gently. "Um…is it alright if I stay wit him da rest of da night? Or do I have ta leave after I visit?" the mutant asked.

"It's alright for direct family members to stay with a patient after-hours, but it's against policy for it to be anyone else." He looked at the mutant curiously. "You're family with him?" he asked.

Bebop nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, he's my bruddah." He stated confidently.

No one spoke up to contradict Bebop, and after a moment the doctor nodded. "Then it's ok." He said smiling. "I bid you all good evening now. I've still got other duties to attend to." He continued. Splinter and the Turtles bowed towards him formally, which he returned slightly, before turning away from them and disappearing through a door a little ways down the hall. They were alone in the hospital corridor once again.

Michelangelo came up behind Bebop and clapped him on the shoulder. "That's great news for you big dude." he said with a friendly tone, a large smile on his his face. "I bet you're beyond relieved, huh?"

"Yeah…"Bebop replied, as if he wasn't even paying attention.

Angie caught the tone in his voice and looked at him with concern. "Are you ok, Bebop? Is something wrong?"

Bebop didn't answer her; she didn't think he'd even heard her speak. Instead he was staring straight ahead with the oddest look in his eyes, like he was struggling with something deep in his heart. His brow furrowed in concentration, his teeth were set against each other, and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of his face. Angie prepared to address him again, even began to raise her hand, when he suddenly pushed past her and the turtles and approached Patrick, still standing at the back of the group. The man stiffened as the mutant stopped in front of him, his eyes darting back and forth, looking for possible escape routes. Bebop stared down at the shorter man, his face a reflection of inner turmoil and doubt. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again, like he still couldn't figure out exactly the right words to say what was on his mind. Just when it seemed like an eternity had passed, Bebop finally spoke. "W…why…?" he asked, his eyes reflecting deep pain and confusion.

"Why what?" Patrick asked expectantly.

"I don't understand. Why did you help Rocksteady?" asked Bebop. "I…I know you hate us, because of yoir brother and us being bad guys. Earlier tonight you was gonna shoot us yoirself, and den dat cop went and did it for ya. You coulda just stood back and dat woulda been it. But you didn't…" Bebop looked at Patrick with the most pitiful pained expression on his face, like someone tortured. "Why? I don't get it." He finished.

Patrick frowned and narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "Because I'm not a child." He said rather harshly. "And by the way, the gun wasn't loaded. I was just trying to scare you guys." He explained, prompting a surprised look from Bebop. Ignoring the mutant, Patrick continued, his voice taking on a patronizing tone. "I'm a medical student. I'm in training to become a doctor, just like the ones who operated on your friend tonight. When I'm fully licensed it will be my job to treat ever person brought into my hospital, no matter who they are or what they might have done in the past. Even if they're the worst criminals on earth."

Bebop looked at Patrick with great surprise. "Even if it was Shreddah?" he asked.

"Yes, even someone like him." Patrick replied, his eyes steely and hard. "As I doctor, I don't get to choose whom I do or do not save. Personal feelings have nothing to do with it." For a second, it seemed like that was it, but then Patrick's eyes softened considerably and he smiled for the first time in a while. "But…I think I probably would have helped even if I wasn't a medical student." Bebop raised his eyebrows slightly, and Patrick nodded. "Yeah. You guys are criminals, and have hurt a lot of people over the years, but you're still living beings." He shrugged his shoulders. "If I have the ability to help someone else, to save a life even, and I just pass it up, that's wrong. I couldn't do something like that." He said.

Splinter smiled and nodded in agreement. "Well put, my friend." He said in support.

Patrick smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment, but his expression turned to shock as Bebop grabbed him by the shoulders roughly and pulled him into a tight crushing hug. The man's eyes bulged behind his glasses and he looked ready to try and tear himself away from the mutant with all his strength, but he managed to keep his composure in the moment and simply froze. Bebop was oblivious to Patrick's reaction; he squeezed the man hard, his eyes squinted tightly shut, tears glistening on his furry cheeks. His breathing hitched and he swallowed hard. "Tank you, for savin my best friend's life…" he whispered. "I don't know how I could evah repay you. Tank you…Tank you…" he sobbed as he pulled the man closer.

Patrick's eyes bulged wider. "Dude, you're squashing me." He said in a choked voice as he pulled himself away from the giant mutant. Bebop let him go and Patrick backed off a few steps, brushing himself off and looking flustered. "It's no big deal really." He said with a hint of new embarrassment. "He probably would have made it anyway. I didn't really do much in the end."

Bebop shook his head vehemently. "Da doc said if you hadn't done dat needle chest ting, it would have been too late."

"He didn't exactly say that." Patrick replied, blushing slightly. "The paramedics would have had the same equipment I did, and they showed up only a few minutes later, so it probably would have still been ok, even without me."

Bebop smiled gratefully. "Either way, you still helped. Tanks." He replied.

Patrick blushed redder. "N…no problem." He stuttered out.

Angie smiled and walked across the room, putting an arm around Patrick's shoulder. "Ah, Puddy, you're kinda cute when you're trying to be modest." She said playfully. "I'll be sure to tell Tara."

"Don't you dare!" Patrick shot back angrily.

Angie laughed and bopped him lightly on the shoulder. "That's more like it." She said.

Bebop turned and walked back to the chair he'd been previously sitting in before the doctor arrived. He plopped down into the seat heavily, causing the plastic to creak with his weight. He raised his head and scanned the hallway, meeting the eyes of each person there in turn; Angie, Patrick, Splinter and his four turtles. A conflicting storm of emotional pain, regret, and shame played over his face and he quickly looked down, letting his eyes fall on his feet instead. "I…I need ta say sometin to all yous guys too." He said, clenching his right hand into a fist nervously. "I wanna say tanks to you too, and…dat I'm sorry. For everting."

"About time." Raphael said grumpily, getting and elbow in the side from Michelangelo for his trouble, and angry looks from both Splinter and Leonardo.

Bebop didn't acknowledge the snide comment. He continued staring down, avoiding the others eyes. "Quittin da boss and our lives of crime, tryin to go straight; dat was all Rocksteady's idea, not mine." He said. "I tried ta talk him out of it, and I only agreed in da end because I could tell he weren't gonna change his mind, and I didn' want us to break up. But…" he raised his eyes slightly, looking very ashamed, and then hung his head again. "I didn't really wanna quit."

Splinter nodded as he sat down in the chair across from Bebop, looking at the mutant with extreme kindness in his eyes. "Yes, it is certainly understandable that you would be reluctant to make such a drastic life change so suddenly, even if it was for the best. Especially if there was great uncertainty involved." He said gently.

Bebop glanced up at Splinter and the rat smiled kindly. Bebop smiled slightly and gave a small nod. "Yeah. It's pretty hard to tink about givin up a free bed and food just like dat, even if da boss is a real pain." He said, and then sighed. "But dat weren't da only reason. It's also…" he grimaced, like the thought was very painful for him to admit. "Bein' a criminal nevah really bothered me. What Patrick said ta us earlier really messed Rocksteady up, but I didn' tink it was any big deal, ya know? Why should I care what udder people tink? Why should I care about breakin da law?" Bebop narrowed his eyes and an edge of anger came into his voice. "What did da woild evah do for me or my buddy? All it evah did was dump on us, our whole lives. So why should I care 'bout being good?" The anger drained from his face and he sighed again. "Dat's how I always felt. Workin for Shreddah was fun; I like fightin and breakin stuff and causin trouble, and who cares if we was breakin laws? I felt like I was getting revenge at da woild for all da horrible tings dat had happened to me, and especially to Rocksteady. All we had was eachudder, and I tought dat was all we'd evah need." Bebop rested his hands on his knees, and slowly closed his fists, digging his finger nails into the material of his jeans. Anxiety began to play over his face. "I was always da one who had it all togedder. Could usually figure out what to do in any situation. But tonight…" He closed his hands tightly, and gritted his teeth. Tears began to roll down the sides of his face again. After a moment he slammed his right fist down on the chair next to him hard, cracking the plastic seat, startling everyone. "Tonight…I felt totally helpless!" he stated in disgust. "Rocksteady was bleedin and dying right in front of me, and I couldn't do anyting to help him! I was useless. It was like a nightmare. Da woist feelin I'd had in my life." Bebop sniffed loudly and rubbed his eyes with one fist, before looking towards Patrick and then to Splinter and the turtles. "But even dough you all hate us, after all dat we've done, you still helped anyway. And you're still helping, sayin' dat we can stay wit you and dat you'll help us get on our feet afterwards and everting…" He looked down again, too overwhelmed with emotion to maintain the eye contact. "I...I don't really get it, still. But…tank you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" He leaned forward, resting his head on his hands, and his whole body shook. Tears pattered onto the floor in front of him.

They all watched the mutant warthog as he silently wept, still focused down at his feet, too ashamed to raise his head again. Michelangelo's face fell hard, as a look of empathy and distress came over his features. He began to stand up, opening his mouth to speak, and then stopped, turning to Splinter instead, suddenly not sure of himself. Splinter looked back at the turtle and nodded, smiling knowingly. Michelangelo smiled and gave a quick nod before standing up fully and walking across the corridor to sit in the chair next to Bebop. Michelangelo again looked unsure of himself, and then hesitantly put a hand on the other mutant's left shoulder. "Bebop, we don't hate you guys…really." He said gently.

Bebop turned his head to look at the turtle, an expression of dumbfounded incomprehension on his face. "You don't?" he asked after a long pause.

Michelangelo smiled warmly. "No dude, of course not." He replied confidently. "I mean, yeah, whenever you guys were making trouble we had to stop you. But that's because we're the heroes. It's our job." He shrugged his shoulders. "And yeah, sometimes you kind of drove us crazy, and we wouldn't really say that we "liked" you, but…" he smiled again, and squeezed the mutants shoulder gently. "That doesn't mean that we hate you." Michelangelo turned and looked at the other three turtles. "We don't really hate anyone. It's not part of being a ninja and a hero, right guys?"

The other three turtles nodded, though Raphael a bit reluctantly, and Splinter smiled. "Michelangelo is correct, Bebop. Hate very rarely has any place in the life well lived. It clouds the judgment and reasoning ability, and leads us to stray too close to those lines that we know must not be crossed." He looked over the turtles proudly. "My students know very well that as warriors they must oppose evil and unjust acts wherever they may occur, but they should never fall to the level of hating their enemies."

For a moment Bebop looked like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he smiled at the others with relief. But then something new occurred to him and his face fell again. "Me and Rocksteady…we definitely hated ya." He admitted. "You were always gettin in our way; beatin us up and ruinin' our assignments. And when we failed, Shreddah and Krang would yell at us; tell us we were stupid and woithless. It didn' always bother me like it bothered Rocksteady, but it still hurt, and that just made us hate ya more, because yous were da ones dat made us fail."

Bebop looked to the side at Michelangelo, as if he expected the turtle to get up in disgust and walk away. But Michelangelo continued to sit next to him, holding his shoulder and looking at him with deeply compassionate eyes. "So…do you still hate us now?" he asked gently.

Bebop looked away with shame, and then shook his head slowly. "How could I? Not after tonight." He sniffed and rubbed his eyes again. "All I care 'bout now is Rocksteady gettin' bettah."

Michelangelo smiled wider. "Well you heard what the doctor said! He's going to be fine. That must be a big relief to you now, right?" he asked.

Bebop nodded slowly and mores tears welled up in the sides of his eyes. "Yeah…it is…" he said, his voice cracking. Without much warning, the mutant warthog turned and pulled Michelangelo into a tight embrace, resting his forehead on the edge of the turtle's shell as tears silently began to stream down his face again. Unlike Patrick, Michelangelo took it in stride; he still looked a bit awkward, but he smiled and put his hands on Bebop's back, patting him gently, and just let the other mutant release his emotions. He looked over Bebop's shoulder at the other Turtles and Splinter. Raphael rolled his eyes, but Splinter smiled proudly at his student, and Leonardo and Donatello flashed him thumbs-up signs. Michelangelo gave them a sheepish "what can you do" smile and continued comforting Bebop.

After several minutes, Bebop finally let go of Michelangelo and sat up straight. He gave a loud wet snort and rubbed both his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he raised his eyes to the group. To Angie it looked like a great weight had finally been lifted off the mutant's shoulders; he looked more alert and the slouch in his shoulders was gone. When he spoke again, he sounded much more like his old confident self. "I'm done bein' a bad guy, for good." He declared. "Not just because Rocksteady asked me, neither. I'm doing it for me now too." He smiled to himself. "Guess I finally get how my pal felt when he said he couldn' do it no more. Now I'm da same."

Splinter smiled widely. "That is most wonderful to hear, Bebop."

"Good going!" congratulated Michelangelo, slapping the mutant lightly on the shoulder.

Leonardo stood up and approached Bebop. "I still can't say that I'm ready to trust you two completely." He began, "But…I do hope that this works out, and that we can all end up friends." He said, extending his hand.

Bebop looked at the turtle, a bit unsure, and then reached up and shook his hand. "Yeah, I'd like dat." He said, smiling.

As Leonardo returned to his seat, Bebop stood up. He pulled his trademark shades out of the pocket of his shirt and returned them to their natural place on the bridge of his nose. After the long night they'd had he finally looked almost back to his old self. "Well, guess I'll go check in on Rocksteady now. I'll see you guys later." He said, smiling at them. He turned away and took three steps down the hall, and then quickly turned back, as something suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, Angie. Could I talk to ya for a minute?" he asked.

"Um, yeah sure." Angie replied, feeling a bit confused, as she got up and followed Bebop.

* * *

Bebop took her a little ways down the hall and around the corner, the same place where Leonardo and Splinter had disappeared to have their private talk several minutes before. They stopped and Angie looked at Bebop expectantly, curious to know what he could have to say to her in private now. The mutant looked at her and scratched his ear in embarrassment. "Um, I just wanted to tell you…dat you should try to forget what you hoid me say ta Rocksteady earlier tonight." He said.

For a moment Angie couldn't figure out what he meant at all. She racked her brain and then it occurred to her. She looked at Bebop, feeling a bit confused and surprised. "Do you mean that name?" she asked.

Bebop nodded. "Yeah, dat's it. I only said it 'cause he wasn' respondin and I was scared and didn' know how else to get his attention." He explained. "He's prolly gonna be really mad at me when he wakes up. He really likes you a lot, and I don't want him to be even more upset if he tinks you heard too."

Angie didn't really understand why it would be a big deal, but she nodded in agreement anyway. "Alright. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything." She shrugged and smiled. "I guess it would be better in the end if he told me himself right, once he's ready?"

Bebop frowned slightly, his demeanor becoming more serious. "He won't dough." He said confidently. "Dat's not his name no more. He don't want ta tink about the past ever again. Neither do I. When we came back here after meetin, we wanted a fresh start, and dat included new identities." He smiled again. "We're Bebop and Rocksteady now. Dose are da only names dat mean anyting to us."

Angie smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." She looked at him slyly. "So, you think you'll change your names again now? Since this is another new start?"

Bebop chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, once was enough. And we've gotten attached to em." He said.

Angie laughed back and then shook her head. "You know, I'm kind of jealous of the two of you." She said.

Bebop looked at her with surprise. "Huh, what do you mean?"

Angie smiled sadly. "Even if Rocksteady and I did start dating, and got closer to each other, even if things went beyond that, I don't think we could ever be as close to each other as he is to you, and you are to him." She said, as she looked at the mutant seriously. "The two of you have something that no one else could ever match. Don't let it go."

Bebop smiled sheepishly and nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so." He replied.

Angie nodded and then turned to look back down the hall. "I have to take Tyler home and get him in bed, but I'll be back in the morning to check on you two." She said. "I'll have the couch made up for you tonight."

Bebop smiled and nodded. "Ok, I'll see ya later." He started to turn, but then stopped. "And…tell da toitles and da rat and yoir friend Patrick "Tanks again…" for me." He said softly.

Angie smiled. "I will" she promised, as the two parted ways.

* * *

Several hours later, the warm morning sun streamed through the open window across the way as Angie quietly opened the door to hospital room 2-A and entered. Rocksteady lay on the bed in the center of the room, surrounded by the usual amount of equipment. His chest was covered in bandages and another smaller one covered the gash above his left eye. An IV tube stretched from his left arm to a pole next to the bed, the bag filled with an amber colored liquid. An oxygen tube snaked around from behind his head and into his left nostril. The mutant looked like he was still asleep, his breathing going slowly in and out at a regular pace. Bebop was sitting in a chair next to the bed; his upper body leaned forward with his head resting on the bed, cradled on top of his left arm. He was holding Rocksteady's left hand in his right. Angie crept forward quietly and looked down at Bebop, realizing that the mutant was sound asleep; not surprising considering the long and exhausting night he had just been through. His shades had slipped down his face and she could see his eyes, shut tight, with a very relaxed and peaceful look on his face. Smiling to herself, Angie decided not to wake him; she gently touched the mutant lightly on the shoulder and moved to the opposite side of the bed to grab a chair.

As she sat down in the plastic chair, the material creaked under her weight and Rocksteady opened his eyes and turned his head slightly in her direction. Angie felt a jolt of surprise for a moment and then smiled. "Hey, you're awake?" she asked.

He nodded almost imperceptibly and smiled. "Yeah. For a little while now." He said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Angie moved closer. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

Rocksteady smiled a little wider. "What do you tink? Terrible" he said, as he moved his head a little more towards her. "I've gotta say, Angie. Dat…was da worst first date I've evah had. Dough it's also da only first date I've evah had."

Angie laughed at the comment, and then felt the sting of a tear in her eyes. "I…I was really worried about you." She said sincerely. "I…I'm sorry about all the stuff I said to you before, in the park." She shook her head shamefully. "I didn't know anything."

"It's ok." Rocksteady replied. He slowly slid his right hand over the bed towards her and Angie reached out and took it. After a moment she surprised herself by doing something more; she leaned in and kissed Rocksteady gently on the cheek.

After a moment she pulled away, a tear running down the side of her face. "I'm really glad you're going to be ok." she said. Rocksteady smiled again and squeezed her hand weakly. Angie sat back in her chair, still holding Rocksteady's hand, and the mutant let his head sink back deep into the pillow as he closed his eyes. A few minutes later she heard his breathing grow deeper and knew that he had fallen back to sleep. She sat in the chair for a while longer, watching him and Bebop rest and sending up a silent prayer of thanks that everything had turned out alright.


	16. Chapter 15: Moving On

-15-

Moving Forward

Rocksteady opened the door to the apartment and grimaced as a puff of lukewarm stagnant air hit him in the face. They really needed to get their air conditioner fixed, though at the moment money was still a little tight. Sighing heavily, he closed the door behind him and stepped into the living room area, tossing his yellow and orange safety vest onto the nearby armchair as he reached behind his head and fumbled with the knot of the bandanna tied around his neck.

"Hey Rocksteady, is dat you?" called Bebop's voice from the small kitchen across the way.

Rocksteady frowned in annoyance. "Who else would it be, hog breath? We's the only ones dat live here." He called out with a bit of irritation. He finally got his fat fingers through the knot and pulled the bandana off his neck. Slowly he rubbed his sweaty face, neck, and shoulders with the cloth as he leaned against the back of the chair and caught his breath a little. The elevator was broken and he'd had a long walk up the stairs.

Bebop exited the kitchen carrying a steaming cup of ramen in his hand. He slurped a large mouthful of noodles off his chopsticks and looked at Rocksteady with concern. "What's eatin you? Have a bad day at woik?" Bebop asked.

Rocksteady narrowed his eyes at Bebop. "You sound like you're my wife." He shot back testily. Bebop frowned and looked a little hurt, and Rocksteady felt a sharp sting of guilt. "Sorry." He replied contritely, lowering his eyes. "Um…nah, work was ok, I'm just super beat. We started dat big project and everyone was going full steam all day. Barely even had time for breaks." He explained, flexing his arms tenderly. "I'm sore all over. Can't wait to get some sleep tonight."

Bebop raised his eyebrows as if he remembered something. "Hey, speaking of which, Angie called a little while ago. She wanted to know if you're still coming over later."

Rocksteady's eyes lit up and he felt his spirits rise. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about dat." He exclaimed, smiling. "Of course I'm comin."

Bebop grinned and gave his friend a knowing look. "Not too tired for dat, huh?" he asked, scooping up another mouthful of noodles from his cup.

"No way, I'd never be too tired ta hang out wit Angie and Tyler." Rocksteady exclaimed, grinning. "Too bad you've got work tonight." He stated.

Bebop shrugged and swallowed his noodles. "Yeah, but what can ya do? I'll see em later dis week." He said.

Rocksteady stuffed his bandanna in his back pocket and headed towards the hallway leading to the bedroom and bathroom. "Hey, could ya call her back for me and tell her I'll be dere in like an hour and a half? I'm gonna take a shower and change before I go." He said over his shoulder.

Bebop frowned. "What am I, you're answerin soivice." He fired back. Rocksteady turned back, giving him a half annoyed, half tired look, and Bebop laughed. "Just kiddin buddy. Yeah, I'll call her." He replied, digging up another mouthful of noodles from his cup. Rocksteady smiled and nodded, then disappeared down the hallway as Bebop turned and headed back to the kitchen to get the phone.

* * *

Rocksteady let out a long groan of relief and contentment as he stepped under the shower nozzle and the hot water poured over his head and shoulders, cascading down his tired body, soothing his sore muscles. Feeling all the tension of the day melt away, Rocksteady leaned to the side and rested his head against the tiled wall to his left. He closed his eyes and relished the feeling of the hot cleansing water on his body, and let his thoughts drift over the day's events and beyond. It had been almost six months since the night he and Bebop had left Shredder for good, the night Rocksteady had almost died, and he still couldn't believe how fast things had changed.

The "official" story of that fateful night, the story reported in the papers and on the air, was that Rocksteady and Bebop had broken into the computer factory under duress, due to their friend being held hostage by the Foot Clan. The factory owners, upon reviewing the security footage of the incident and hearing the firsthand accounts from the Turtles, relayed by April O'Neil, ultimately decided not to press charges against the mutants, though under the conditions that they help pay for some of the damages caused by the fight and for the medical bill of the guard they'd knocked out.

The turtles made good on their promise to let the Mutants stay with them; the duo moved into the sewer lair as soon as Rocksteady was discharged from the hospital, three days after the incident. It was a little bit awkward and uncomfortable to be rooming with the same guys who had up until then been their sworn enemies, but it hadn't been so bad. After a few days of concentrated rest, the turtles and Splinter began working with the mutants on the foundation of their new crime free lives, which entailed finding them a place to live and jobs. As a first step, Donatello created for them some rudimentary photo IDs and background paperwork, enough to at least help them get a foot in the door at most places. Rocksteady was a bit uncomfortable with that, and Donatello had been reluctant as well, but Splinter insisted that in this case it was unfortunately a necessary evil; after all, the two mutants couldn't exactly use their real information anymore, and "hired muscle for Shredder" wouldn't look good on any resume.

Surprisingly, finding a place to live wasn't that difficult at all. After only three days of looking, the turtles located a somewhat rundown apartment building not all that far away from where Tyler and Angie lived. The place was definitely a dump, but it was rent controlled and the building manager was a kind and rather eccentric old woman willing to not ask too many questions. The mutants met with the lady for a brief interview and got the approval to move in the next day.

Money ended up not being a problem either; The turtles had very generously conducted a raid on the Technodrome with the turtle drill and brought back nearly all the contents of Rocksteady and Bebop's old room, which included a modest stash of cash they'd saved up over the years, which proved just enough for the security deposit on their new apartment. With a little bit of encouragement from Splinter, the two mutants also sold off about half of their belongings, providing them with enough money for a few modest furnishings, a bunk bed, and a cheap TV. April O'Neil generously donated a few old pieces of furniture to them, and both the turtles and Angie contributed a small chunk of "start up" cash to the two mutants. Both Bebop and Rocksteady had been a bit uncomfortable with this gift, especially considering everything the turtles and their friends had already done to help, but reluctantly accepted it upon Splinter's insistence.

Starting from that fateful night onward, both the mutants had been terrified of the possibility that Shredder and Krang would retaliate against them in some way, or would decide to go after Angie and her brother. As a precaution the turtles gave Angie, Tyler, and the mutant duo new Turtle Coms for emergencies, which were also equipped with tracking beacons, just in case. At least one turtle per day was also assigned to check up on Angie and Tyler periodically to make sure no one suspicious was following them or staking out their apartment. Surprisingly, it turned out that Shredder and Krang weren't very interested in pursuing revenge against their two former henchmen; They made a second attempt at the A.I. computer component a few days later and then returned to business as usual, launching various schemes and attacks periodically just as they always had. Three weeks after the incident, the mutants heard from the turtles that Shredder had actually replaced them with two new mutants, a couple of bozos calling themselves Dogpound and Fishface. Rocksteady figured that Shredder and Krang were probably glad he and Bebop were gone and had decided that revenge would be too much of a hassle when they had world domination to attend to, though he'd still been sick with worry for Tyler and Angie's safety for nearly a month after the incident, at least until the Turtles once again banished the Technodrome to Dimension X, leaving New York relatively super-villain free for now.

The heat from the water was starting to get to him a little, so Rocksteady pushed himself upright and grabbed the bar of soap in the small basket under the shower head, turning down the temperature slightly at the same time. As he lathered up, he continued to think of the past few months, and how lucky he and Bebop were that things had turned out as well as they had. They'd encountered surprisingly little difficulty in transitioning to the status of being just two normal New York guys. Their neighbors were friendly and tolerant, and the local businesses mostly hadn't batted an eye when two mutants suddenly started coming around, buying groceries and stuff. The push-back and rejection that Bebop had been so quick to warn him about hadn't materialized at all. They'd even both found stable jobs now, though Bebop had definitely had an easier time on that front than Rocksteady.

Only a few days after moving into their apartment, Bebop found a help wanted sign in the window of a new dance club opening up a few blocks away. The owner needed some manual labor to help set everything up, and Bebop had happily applied for the position. But as luck would have it, the owner soon discovered that Bebop had a pretty good ear for music and offered to try him out as a DJ on a trial basis. Bebop of course jumped at the chance, so when the club opened a few weeks later, he was on two nights a week, choosing songs for the dancing public. He performed so well and received enough positive feedback from the patrons that the owner expanded him to the club's full time DJ. The nighttime hours were cutting into Bebop's social time a bit, but he still loved it. Rocksteady thought his friend had truly found his calling, and he couldn't be happier for him.

Rocksteady's own journey to gainful full employment had been a bit more difficult. He'd gone through a round of about five job interviews at different places before finally getting hired as a warehouse stockboy, but the job only lasted a few weeks before his boss let him go. It had been a stressful process; Rocksteady hated interviews, especially since it felt like he was being evaluated not just for his abilities but on his mutant appearance too. A couple of places had turned him away for not having a real work history or for his lack of background, understandable given his unique situation, but still frustrating. He'd finally landed a steady full-time job about three months ago, performing a task that most people would have pegged for him as perfect; construction.

Rocksteady had to admit that the job was much better than he'd expected. He'd assumed that construction work would be pretty boring and monotonous; taking it only because he needed the money and didn't exactly have many other prospects lined up, but to his surprise he found the work fairly engaging and satisfying. For so many years Rocksteady had used his substantial mutant strength only for fighting and destroying; it felt pretty good now to be turning that power to more positive ends. Building something new with your own two hands felt uniquely cathartic to Rocksteady after so many years of being Shredder's thug. It helped that he was pretty good at it too and physically well suited to the job. He could lift nearly twice as much as any other guy in the firm, and had a lot more endurance, allowing him to do some of the harder more strenuous tasks by himself that it would normally take two or three guys to complete. He was learning fast and his skill with the tools and comprehension of the job in general was growing daily. He'd still had his share of clumsy accidents and dumb mistakes during his early weeks with the firm, but overall things were going about a hundred times better with this job than they had ever gone in all his years as a criminal. He knew part of it was the environment his boss and fellow employees all created around him. The foreman Ike was a no-nonsense tough as nails New York kind of guy, but he treated Rocksteady fairly, pointing out mistakes when they were made, but always encouraging him to do better and praising his improvements. The difference between him and a boss like Shredder was night and day. His co-workers all treated him well too; none of them seemed to mind that he was a mutant or a newbie, they said hello to him every day, asked him about his life, gave him pointers to improve his performance and avoid mistakes, he'd even received a few invitations to watch sports at the local bar from a couple of guys. Rocksteady didn't really consider any of his coworkers friends yet, he still mostly kept to himself during breaks, usually sitting on his own, eating and reading a comic or playing a hand held game, but he had nothing to complain about in how they were treating him so far. Everything was turning out pretty good. At least…until today.

Rocksteady sighed and shut off the water. Stepping out of the shower stall, he grabbed a fresh towel off the pile on the counter and began to slowly dry off, the realities of the day running through his head. Yep, all of that was behind him now. It had been interesting while it lasted. Rocksteady sighed again, hanging the towel around his neck, and approached the fogged up mirror on the wall. With one fist he wiped away the moisture and looked at himself in the glass, studying his own face with new curiosity. The face of an animal. Not human. Different. A deep squeezing ache grew in his chest, and Rocksteady grimaced reflexively. What was wrong with him? Why had he done that? Things were pretty good now in his life. A million times better than they ever had been before. He'd be an idiot to just throw that away. And yet…there was something bothering him, in the back of his brain, like a splinter you just couldn't quite dig out, just gnawing at his nerves. Something felt off. Maybe that was why.

Rocksteady raised a hand and rubbed his temples slowly, trying to get his thoughts straight. His eyes traveled down the mirror and fell on the prominent circle etched into the left side of his chest. The areas along the edges were pale white in contrast to the gray of the surrounding skin; it looked uncannily like a crater you would see on the surface of the moon. Rocksteady touched the raised edge of the bullet scar and felt a brief flash of phantom pain. Gritting his teeth, he averted his eyes, not wanting to look at the spot anymore. Bebop kept telling him to be proud of his scar, that it was like a badge of honor to show he'd risked his life for his friends, and on top of that girls would think it's sexy. Rocksteady knew he was right, at least about the first part, but sometimes when he looked at the scar all he could think about was the past, and the man he'd been for so many years. It was a constant reminder of all the things he had tried to leave behind, and it haunted him.

Rocksteady shook his head again and tried to turn his thoughts to the evening ahead. He was going to go have fun hanging out with his friends; there would be time to obsess about this stuff tomorrow. He grabbed his stick of deodorant out of the bathroom cabinet and generously rolled it under his armpits. Satisfied, he placed the stick back in the cabinet, closed the mirrored door, and examined his reflection again, running a hand over his slightly prickly face and neck. After a moment he shook his head and decided not to bother shaving now, it was too much trouble. It was just Tyler and Angie he was seeing, not anything fancy. Hanging his towel on the bar next to the sink to dry, Rocksteady headed out the door and towards the bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Five minutes later Rocksteady stepped back into the living room. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and the new camo print t-shirt and bomber jacket he'd picked up at a sale the Army Surplus store had been having last week. "Hey Bebop, I'm headin out." He called over his shoulder as he walked towards the door, grabbing his keys and wallet from the table next to the door.

Bebop came out of the kitchen. "Hey, you're boss just called a few minutes ago." He said.

Rocksteady turned around, a pang of worry and guilt running through him. "H…he did, did he? What did he want?" he asked nervously.

"He didn't say" Bebop replied, eyeing Rocksteady suspiciously. "Just that he wanted to talk to you as soon as possible, asked me to have you call him back." He concluded as he raised his shades with one hand, fixing Rocksteady with a serious stare. "Did something happen to you at woik today?" he asked.

Rocksteady frowned slightly and shook his head. "No, not really. It's no big deal." He replied a bit too quickly.

Bebop raised his eyebrow with incredulity. "Are you sure?" he asked pointedly.

Rocksteady growled in annoyance and turned away, heading towards the door. "I'm fine. Nuttin happened, it was just a normal day." He replied curtly.

"Rocksteady, sometin's been up wit you lately. I can tell." Bebop said, his voice filled with concern. "I'm worried about you, pal."

Rocksteady felt a stab of guilt immediately followed by a flash of anger at his friend's pushing. "I'm fine! You don't havta worry! I just wanna go hang out wit Tyler and Angie and relax. Dat's all!" he said as he reached for the door knob.

A hurt look came over Bebop's face at Rocksteady's rebuff, but his concern for his friend was stronger. "Sometin did happen at woik today, didn' it?" he asked softly.

Rocksteady froze, his hand on the knob. His friend's tone got through to him and he kicked himself mentally for snapping at Bebop. "I…I'll tell you about it later. I promise." Rocksteady replied softly.

Bebop still looked worried, but he nodded in accession. "Alright, I guess." He replied, before smiling slightly. "Have fun wit Angie and Tyler. I'll see you tomorrow mornin."

"Ok" Rocksteady replied, as he opened the door and left the apartment.

* * *

Rocksteady stepped out of the elevator into the hallway and headed towards Tyler and Angie's place. As he arrived, the door to the apartment opened on its own and Tyler stepped out into the hall. Rocksteady's face brightened and he smiled widely. "Hey Tyler! What's up?" he called out happily. Tyler caught sight of him and smiled back as he moved out further into the hallway and a second boy exited the door behind him. Rocksteady's eyes popped open in surprise as he realized who it was.

"Rocksteady, hey!" Tyler responded. "You remember Kenny, right?" he asked as he nodded towards the other boy.

"Uh, yeah I remember him." Rocksteady replied a bit awkwardly, staring at the other boy. It was Kenny, the fat bully who he and Bebop had caught teasing Tyler at the pizza joint so many months ago. Rocksteady had heard he and Tyler were on less hostile terms these days, but it still surprised him to see the boy here and now. Kenny obviously felt the same way; he took a few steps back towards the other side of the hall and eyed the mutant warily. Rocksteady ignored the kid for the moment and looked at Tyler. "You guys goin somewhere?" he asked.

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, Kenny and I are meeting Zack in a few minutes to get a slice of pizza and catch an early movie." He replied.

Rocksteady's eyes widened in surprise and disappointment. "Hey, I tought we was gonna hang out tonight." he said.

Tyler's smiled slyly. "Actually about that. Angie asked me to do something with my friends out, instead of staying in." The boy walked over to the mutant and poked him with his elbow, smiling wide. "I think she wants you to herself, dude."

Rocksteady blushed slightly and looked away from Tyler. "Oh…I…I guess dat's ok." he stuttered.

Tyler frowned. "Hey, if you're that disappointed we could come back here and hang out with you, or you could come with us." He said, which prompted a bit of a worried look from Kenny. "Bet you'd have more fun at the movies than hanging out with Angie all night." He said.

Rocksteady shook his head. "Nah, its ok. I like hangin out wit your sistah too." He replied, smiling.

Tyler smiled again, and gave Rocksteady another poke. "I get what you're saying." He replied, winking, causing Rocksteady to blush a bit more.

"Tyler come on, we should get going or we'll be late to the movie." Kenny chimed in, looking a bit anxious.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." Tyler responded. He began to walk towards Kenny, but then a look of shock and annoyance came over his face as he reached into his coat pocket. "Oh shoot! I've got to get something from my room. Wait here Kenny, I'll be right back." He said quickly. Not waiting for a reply, Tyler turned and unlocked the door to the apartment, disappearing back inside, leaving Rocksteady along in the hallway with Kenny.

The two of them stood staring at each other in awkward silence. Rocksteady could tell the kid was really nervous, so he tried to smile in a friendly way. "Been a while since I saw ya." He stated awkwardly.

Kenny jerked a little at the sound of Rocksteady's voice. "Uh, yeah, it has been." He replied, shifting his eyes from the mutant to the open apartment door nervously.

Rocksteady felt a stab of guilt in his heart at the reply. This kid was obviously terrified of him; he looked like he expected the mutant to attack him at any moment. And who could blame him after their last encounter? Rocksteady sighed and looked down. "Hey kid…" he started, nervously rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "I…I'm really sorry me and Bebop scared ya like we did dat day at da pizza joint." He continued, smiling sheepishly.

Kenny's eyes widened and he looked at the mutant with confusion and disbelief. "What? Really?" he asked.

"Really." Rocksteady replied.

Kenny looked down at his feet; an embarrassed blush reddening his face. "I WAS kind of a jerk back then." He replied.

Rocksteady shook his head. "Yeah, but dat don't matter. Even if we was mad at ya for pickin on our friend, and we wanted to protect him and everting, it still don't make it right dat we threatened ya and stole your money." He looked down at his feet shamefully. "So, like I said…I'm sorry."

Kenny stared at the mutant wearily. After a moment he seemed to decide that Rocksteady was being genuine and a small smile crossed his face. "It's ok." he responded. "Tyler gave the money back to me the next week anyway."

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah, he told us he was gonna do dat." He smiled and looked towards the open door. "He's a good kid." He stated affectionately.

Kenny nodded and looked a bit embarrassed again. "Yeah. He aint bad." He said quickly, leaning up against the wall as he tried to compose a more disinterested expression on his face.

Rocksteady looked back at the boy and smiled. "So yous guys are friends now?" he asked.

Kenny nodded, but kept his blasé expression. "Yeah, we're cool. I didn't really give him a chance before, but now…"

Rocksteady smiled and gave a knowing nod. "You're startin to see tings a little different?" he asked.

Kenny looked a bit surprised and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess." He replied, smiling slightly.

"He does dat." Rocksteady said. After a moment, the mutant and the boy met each other's eyes directly, and a wordless understanding passed between them. Rocksteady grinned toothily and Kenny smiled back, and then the two both turned their heads to watch the open door for their friend's return.

Tyler re-appeared only a few moments later. "Sorry for taking so long." He said as he exited the apartment, holding up several slips of paper in his hand to show Kenny. "I totally forgot the coupons for the movie. We'd miss out on our free snacks if I left these behind." He explained, stuffing the slips of paper into his coat pocket.

"Great, now let's go!" Kenny replied impatiently as he pushed off the wall and started down the hall towards the elevator.

"Alright, alright." Tyler replied, before giving a glance towards Rocksteady. "I'll see you, Rocksteady! We'll hang out later to make up for tonight, I promise." He said quickly before turning to jog after his friend.

Rocksteady nodded and waved as they left. "Yeah, I'll see you later. Have fun!" he called out. As they reached the elevator landing, Tyler turned and waved to him one more time. Rocksteady smiled and returned the wave, before turning to enter the apartment. "Hey, Angie I'm here!" He called out as he closed the front door and hung his jacket on the hook on the wall.

"Yeah, Tyler told me!' she called cheerfully from further ahead. "I'm in the kitchen."

Rocksteady tromped down the hallway and through the living room into the apartment's small kitchen. Angie was standing over the stove, stirring something in a medium sized pot. Rocksteady stopped and inhaled deeply as he entered, taking in the pleasing aroma. "Hey, dat smells great!" He exclaimed happily.

Angie turned her head and smile. "It's spaghetti sauce. A special recipe from my grandmother." She turned back to the pot and scooped up a small dollop of the sauce into the wooden spoon she was stirring with. Turning around, she held the utensil out towards Rocksteady. "Here, taste. Tell me what you think."

Rocksteady took the spoon and licked the dollop of sauce off the end. His eyes widened and he grinned. "Wow, dat's really good." He exclaimed, licking his lips. "Not too chunky or anyting. Even a bit spicy."

"Thanks" Angie replied, touching his arm gently. Rocksteady felt his heart jump at the contact, and a slight blush came to his cheeks. She moved her hand down his arm, stopping briefly at his hand, and then took the spoon back. Smiling a bit coyly, she turned and began stirring the pot again. "Could you set the table while I finish this up?" she asked over her shoulder.

Rocksteady frowned. "What? Aint we gonna eat while we watch our movie?" he asked.

"We do that all the time." Angie replied, not looking away from her stirring. "I just thought tonight it might be nice for us to eat at the table, so we could talk. Catch up on life and stuff."

Rocksteady felt a brief twinge inside him, like a small thorn prick. In his subconscious a silent alarm was starting to go off, and a slight feeling of unease rose up inside him. "Um…ok, I guess dat's cool." He replied, somewhat disappointed. He turned and opened the cabinet to his left, where he knew Angie kept the plates.

Angie smiled to herself and shook her head. "We'll watch the movie after dinner, don't worry." She replied. " _Boys"_ she thought, with just a tiny bit of annoyance.

Rocksteady set two plates on the table across from each other, and then went back for the silverware and glasses. He almost forgot to grab napkins; even after all this time he was still used to the messy way he and Bebop used to eat, but remembered at the last second, grabbing two from the drawer next to the silverware. Angie came behind him just as he set the last item down, carrying a large bowl full of spaghetti noodles. "Thanks." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder briefly as she passed. Rocksteady's heart skipped again and at the same time the feeling of unease grew a bit stronger. She sure was being touchy-feely tonight.

Angie set the bowl of noodles down on the table and turned back towards him. "Could you grab the pitcher of water and the bread basket please?" She asked. Rocksteady nodded and returned to the kitchen, grabbing the water pitcher in one hand and the basket in the other. He paused for a split second and refocused his concentration, making himself more aware of his surroundings and his body. It was a little trick Splinter had suggested to him to help with his clumsiness, very handy for his construction work, but also most everyday situations. Turning around, he passed by Angie and returned to the table, setting the pitcher and basket on the tablecloth without spilling anything. Angie returned a few seconds later carrying the pot of spaghetti sauce with two large oven mitts. "Careful, it's hot" she said as she set the pot down next to the noodles in the center of the table.

With everything gathered, the two finally sat down and began to assemble their meals. Rocksteady of course, heaped a large pile of noodles onto his plate, almost three times as much as Angie, and smothered the mound with an avalanche of steaming red sauce. He topped it off with three large pieces of garlic bread from the basket. Angie shook her head and smiled as she filled her own plate with a more modest amount of food. "Got enough there?" she asked playfully.

"You know me." Rocksteady replied smiling, as he stuck his fork into the spaghetti and spun it around, gathering a large lump of noodles which he quickly brought to his mouth. "Dis is rawlly goomph." He garbled through his mouthful of food as he chewed.

Angie laughed as she gathered her own mouthful of spaghetti on her fork. "I'm glad you like it." She responded.

Rocksteady swallowed and took a large swig from his glass of water, before cramming one entire piece of garlic bread into his mouth. Angie smiled and then turned her focus to her own plate of food. She chewed and swallowed three mouthfuls from the spaghetti and then took a bite out of her piece of bread before taking a small gulp from her water glass and turning her attention back to the mutant. "So how has work been lately?" she asked.

Rocksteady paused for a brief second, his eyes shifting up to meet hers, and felt a twinge of unease. He took a gulp from his water to wash down his last bite and then looked back at Angie. "Umm…it's ok I guess." He replied hesitantly. "We just started dat new project, so it's been busy." He explained, and then took another bite of garlic bread.

"Nothing's happened recently to bother you or anything?" she asked a little pointedly.

Rocksteady almost choked on his piece of bread, but managed to stop himself. He quickly took a swig of water to wash the bite down. "No, nuttin really." He replied quickly. Inside his heart had started to beat a little faster.

"Your boss and the other guys are treating you alright?" Angie asked.

"Of course." Rocksteady replied back. "Dey treat me just like any udder guy. We get along fine."

"No more altercations with pedestrians lately?" Angie asked.

Rocksteady frowned and felt a slight twinge of annoyance at the subject. "Dat was just one time." He replied crossly. "I hadn't prepared myself for dat, and I let myself get too angry. Now, if anyone passin by yells sometin at me I just ignore em, and I know da udder guys got my back now."

Angie smiled. "That's great." She said as she took a sip of her water.

Rocksteady looked at her suspiciously. "Why you askin so much about if I'm ok at work?" he asked.

Angie set her glass down and shifted her eyes away from his briefly, looking a bit guilt. "Bebop told me on the phone earlier that you seemed kind of off when you got home today." She explained. "He thought maybe something had happened to you at work. So I just thought I'd ask, in case you wanted to say something."

Rocksteady felt a brief flash of anger at Bebop. He'd have to talk to him about that when he got home. Rocksteady shook his head. "Nah, dere's nuttin to tell. It was just a tiring day at work. I already told him dat." He said, unable to completely hide his annoyance. "If you don't mind I'd kinda prefer to talk about sometin else." He said nervously, feeling his heart start to pick up speed slightly. "How's your work been lately?"

Angie finished another bite of spaghetti and then rested her head on her hand in a thoughtful pose. "Same old, same old, I guess." She replied with a shrug. Angie began to pick up her fork again when something occurred to her. "Oh yeah, we have a new hire in the A/P department. Really nice guy, just moved here about three weeks ago. He's pretty attractive too. All the other ladies in the office are already drooling over him"

Rocksteady nodded and took another bite of food. "Dat's nice." He said.

An odd, somewhat contemplative look came over Angie's face at that moment. She paused for several seconds as if she was thinking something over deeply and then spoke again. "He actually asked me out for coffee the other day." She said, fixing Rocksteady with a searching look, waiting to see his reaction.

Rocksteady felt a twinge of -something- at the back of his mind, but didn't really understand what it meant. He pushed the feeling down and smiled. "Really, dat's kinda cool. Did you say yes?"

Angie's eyes twitched and her face fell briefly with disappointment, but she quickly recomposed herself. "No, of course not." She replied, before fixing Rocksteady with another critical look. "But…I have to admit I was a little tempted." She said, staring at the mutant intently.

"So den why didn't ya?" Rocksteady asked innocently. "Maybe you might become friends."

Angie looked at Rocksteady with a bit of annoyance and exasperation. "It wasn't a "friends" kind of invitation, if you know what I mean." She said, staring right into Rocksteady's eyes.

Rocksteady paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she meant. Asked out for coffee. Not a "friends" kind of thing. Asked out. "Oh…" Rocksteady said, as the realization hit him. "You meant like a date…"

Angie nodded, relieved that he'd finally got it. "Yeah, that's what I meant. And I said no because of you, obviously. I'm not that kind of girl." She said before fixing him with a serious look. "But like I said, I was a little tempted. Especially with how things have been lately."

Rocksteady set his fork down next to his plate, feeling like his appetite was starting to retreat. His heart was pounding like a drum in his chest, and the sense of acute unease was growing greater. He became aware that he was starting to breathe faster than before. "What do you mean by dat?" he asked nervously.

Angie sighed and shook her head. "Guess the subtle approach isn't going to work." She mumbled to herself, prompting a curious look from Rocksteady. "Nothing." She replied, shaking her head. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the mutant and prepared to come clean. "Rocksteady, the reason I asked Tyler to go out with his friends tonight and give us time alone was because I wanted to talk about us."

Rocksteady frowned and furrowed his brow. "Huh? What do ya mean?"

Angie sighed again and shook her head. "I mean us. You and me. Our relationship. I just feel like it's time to clarify things." She looked at him expectantly. "I know you said you wanted to take things slow after you got out of the hospital. Get used to your new life and new job and everything, and not rush the relationship on top of it. I respect that. But it's been almost six months now, and we've barely moved beyond just hanging out together with Bebop and my brother. We've only been on like two dates since our first, and they were really just group things." She looked up at him expectantly. "I just want to know if our relationship has the potential of going anywhere in the future. Or if this will be it."

Rocksteady's heart picked up pace and he felt panic and fear begin to flood his system. "Um…I…I don't know…" he stuttered, clenching his hands into fists from anxiety.

Angie caught the change in his face and her expression fell. She shook her head and looked down. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pressure you." She said with embarrassment. "And it's ok if we just stay friends, and don't take things any farther, it's just…" she looked up at him again with an honest affection and longing in her eyes. "There have been other guys who asked me out, not just this new one at work. I have plenty of prospects. But I've said no to all of them, because of you." After a moment, Angie reached out and placed her hand over Rocksteady's, smiling gently. Rocksteady felt his heart nearly stop for a moment at her touch. "I really care about you Rocksteady. As a lot more than just a friend. I know many people would be shocked by that, but it's true." She squeezed his hand. "I really want this to work out between us if it can. I hope you do too."

For a split second Rocksteady felt unbelievable elation, but then it was gone, squashed by something else entirely. His heart was now racing at the speed of light. Sweat broke out all over his body and he started to feel a little faint. He pulled his hand away from Angie's quickly, prompting a hurt and disappointed look from the woman. "What's wrong?" she asked with worry. "Did I say something to upset you? Do…do you not want our relationship to go any further?" she continued cautiously.

Rocksteady shook his head in confusion. What WAS wrong with him? Angie had just told him that she stilled cared for him, that she wanted to keep seeing him as a boyfriend. It was what he wanted, right? He really cared about her too. So why did he feel like he was suddenly under attack? "I…I don't know. I guess I do want dat…or maybe… arrgh!" He growled in frustation, bringing one hand up to rub his temples. He was getting a huge headache. He reached into his back pocket with one shaky hand and grabbed his bandanna, which he used to wipe his sweaty face.

Angie's eyes widened with concern. "Are you ok, Rocksteady. You look a little sick." She said, glancing down at the food on the table with sudden suspicion. "Do you think it could be something you ate?" she asked.

Rocksteady shook his head. "No, it aint dat. I just…" He took two deep breaths and tried to calm his nerves, but it didn't work, his heart continued to pound forward like an out of control train, and sweat soaked his whole body. He was having a panic attack. Just like what had happened on the bus earlier that afternoon, on his way home from work, when he'd scared those two kids and almost got himself kicked out. The same feeling he experienced once or twice a week, late at night, after the nightmares. Unrelenting panic and anxiety, overtaking his whole being. Work had triggered it and now it was happening again. And he didn't even really understand why. All he knew was that he had to get out, NOW!

Rocksteady stood up quickly, knocking over his nearly empty glass of water with one hand. He looked down at the spill, feeling a wave of guilt and shame on top of everything else. "Sorry. I just…I can't stay here. I've got to go." He said quickly as he moved around the table and started to head for the entrance hall. Angie jumped up from her chair, ignoring the spill, and followed.

"I don't understand. What's going on Rocksteady? This isn't like you." Angie said with concern.

"I just need ta get some air. I feel like I'm suffocatin. I have to get out of here, I'm sorry." Rocksteady replied back roughly, not turning around. He reached the hall tree by the door and grabbed his jacket. Angie caught up to him and grabbed his arm, sending a flash of annoyance through the mutant.

"Don't go." Angie pleaded, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "If there's something bothering you, then please tell me. I can help you. Or if you're feeling sick then let me call you a cab so you don't have to walk home."

Rocksteady felt a flash of strong irrational anger erupt out of him. "I said I'm fine! Let go!" he growled, yanking his arm out of Angie's grasp. Angie gasped in surprise and stumbled back, right into the hall tree behind her. She stared back at Rocksteady with a shocked and hurt expression, tears beginning to run down her face. Seeing the surprise and hurt on Angie's face sent another wave of self loathing and disgust through the mutant Rhino, triggering another flash of anger. Rocksteady gritted his teeth and turned back towards the door. A storm of emotions flowed through him and he let out a growl of fury and slammed his fist down on the door frame, causing Angie to jump. "I'm sorry." He said through clenched teeth. He took a deep breath and felt his anger begin to subside, though the panic and anxiety was still there, as strong as ever. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." He said in a quieter voice, filled with regret.

Angie's face softened and she began to reach out a hand to the mutant. Rocksteady stepped away from her and opened the apartment door, exiting out into the hallway. "Rocksteady wait!" Angie called out, stepping forward, but the Rhino shut the door without looking back, leaving the woman alone again. Angie stared at the door for several moments, and tears slowly ran down her face. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she turned around and headed for the phone.


	17. Chapter 16: Rescue Me

-16-

Rescue Me

With a heavy and burdened heart Rocksteady opened the door to Honest Johnny's Bar & Grill and entered the dimly lit establishment. The air was filled with scent of tobacco and the sound of muted conversation and the clack of billiard balls from the pool tables across the room. Rocksteady ignored the stares and gasps of surprise from some of the joint's less inebriated patrons and clomped heavily towards the bar on the far side of the building. The bartender, a slightly portly man with dark hair and a mustache, widened his eyes with surprise and apprehension as the mutant approached and sat down wearily on the stool right in front of him. "Um…hey, what'll it be?" he asked after a moment, as if it was completely normal for a six foot tall hulking mutant to be sitting at his bar.

Rocksteady pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and set it down on the counter. "A pitcher of your cheapest stuff." He said wearily.

The bartender nodded. "Coming right up." He said, taking a couple of bills from the pile then grabbed an empty pitcher from the shelves behind him. He turned to the taps and filled the pitcher near to the brim with frothy amber beer. As he returned to his customer, the Bartender gave the mutant a more examining stare. "So, whom do I have the pleasure of serving tonight?" he asked as he set the pitcher down in front of the mutant.

Rocksteady stared at him blankly for a moment, before he finally realized the guy was asking his name. "Oh, uh, Rocksteady." he replied.

The bartender nodded. "And I'm Johnny, the owner of this fine establishment." He said, reaching across the bar to shake Rocksteady's hand. The mutant just stared at it blankly and didn't move. Awkwardly, the man retracted his hand and then gave the Rhino a more examining look. "I couldn't help but notice that you look a little down in the dumps, if you don't mind me saying so."

Rocksteady furrowed his brow in annoyance. "Yeah, no kiddin." He replied testily, glancing up at himself in the mirror across the back wall of the bar. His eyes looked sunken and hollow, surrounded by dark rings, as if he hadn't slept in days, and his 5 o-clock shadow only added to the overall effect. He looked like he'd been hit by a bus, and on the inside that's kind of how it felt. Rocksteady lowered his eyes; feeling disgusted with himself, and turned his attention to the pitcher of beer he'd ordered.

Johnny looked at his customer with genuine concern. "Hey, if you've got troubles you want to talk about, I'm all ears." He said, and then tried to smile in a friendly manner. "It's part of what this job is all about."

Rocksteady narrowed his eyes and glared back at the man. "If it's all da same I'd rather not." He replied grumpily.

"Alright that's fine, no need to get defensive." Johnny replied, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. "You don't have to talk if you don't want to it's just…" The bartender looked around at the other patrons, many casting apprehensive and worried glances towards the mutant, and then back to his customer. "You're not going to be any trouble are you?" he asked cautiously

Rocksteady growled and gritted his teeth. "What, you tink just cause I'm a mutant I'm gonna get violent or sometin?" he asked angrily, clenching one of his fists.

Johnny's expression hardened and he returned Rocksteady's gaze without flinching. He'd dealt with enough trouble makers and drunks over the years to know not to show signs of fear or giving in to intimidation when it came to things like this. "It aint got nothing to do with how you look. It's just sometimes guys come in depressed, or angry, or bent outta shape about something and end up starting trouble, and I will not put up with that kind of thing in my bar." He gave Rocksteady a serious no nonsense look. "I don't care if you're a mutant or a human or an alien, if you think you're starting to feel like busting loose in here for whatever reason, you take it outside, you hear?"

Rocksteady was taken aback by the bartender's forceful statement. His anger and irritation melted away slightly and he nodded his head. "Yeah I got it." He lowered his head and sighed wearily. "I ain't planning to make no trouble. I just want to drink." He said, with a hint of apology in his voice.

Johnny nodded. "Alright then, you do that." He motioned down towards the other end of the bar. "I'll be over there if you need me."

The bartender walked away and Rocksteady picked up the pitcher of beer and took a long gulp. He gritted his teeth against the burn of the alcohol and the carbonation, setting the pitcher down as he swallowed the liquid. The strong overpowering taste filled his mouth and throat, and Rocksteady reflexively made a disgusted face. Ugh, this stuff was nasty! But what else could he expect? He had asked for the cheapest beer after all. And it wasn't like he was drinking it for the taste.

He took another long gulp, draining the pitcher down to the last fourth, and swallowed, wincing slightly as the beer went down, and glanced up at the clock over the bar. It was almost 10 PM, and he'd been wandering aimlessly around the streets since he'd left Angie's apartment, his mind a torrent of thoughts. He'd almost decided to go home several times as the hours passed, but every time he thought about facing Bebop, having to explain to him what had happened, at work and at Angie's, the fear and anxiety overwhelmed him again and he retreated back into himself and just kept walking. His turtle comm. had beeped about forty minutes after he left Angie's but he just turned it off without even checking who it was; he couldn't deal with talking to anyone else right now.

Rocksteady finished off the last fourth of the pitcher and set the glass down with a loud thump on the counter in front of him. Johnny the bartender approached him again, looking at the empty pitcher with obvious surprise before letting out a small whistle. "You finished that off quick." he commented as he picked up the empty pitcher. "Anything else I can do for you?"

Rocksteady pushed the pile of bills towards the man. "Keep em comin." He said.

The bartender looked a bit reluctant but then finally nodded and took some more money from the pile. He turned and filled the pitcher up again with the same brand of beer and set it down in front of the mutant. Rocksteady nodded in acknowledgment and pulled the pitcher towards himself as the bartender left to wait on a new customer, though he still continued to watch Rocksteady from the corner of his eye.

Rocksteady gulped down half the pitcher, and sighed tiredly. He was beginning to feel the inviting blanket of inebriation creep over his body and mind, muting the loud painful thoughts and memories screaming in his head. But it wasn't enough yet. He was a long way off from completely killing the pain. He took another sip from the pitcher and set it down, feeling waves of self-pity and disgust surging through him. He was such an idiot! Not only had he ruined his job this morning, but now he had messed everything up with Angie too. Not that it ever could have worked out in the first place. His new life as a "normal law abiding good guy" was falling apart at the seams, and it was all his fault! He was so stupid! A moron! Special ed! He raised the pitcher and emptied it, feeling the alcohol work its power through his body, making everything feel loose and slow. Still not enough. He should have known this was going to happen. Of course he would mess his life up. That's what he always did. What had he ever gotten right in his life? Had he really ever thought that this little experiment would work? Live a normal life, with a normal job, and a normal relationship with someone. What a joke! He was a FAILURE! That was all he'd ever be. A failure of a criminal and a failure at life. He didn't even deserve the life he'd messed up. After all he'd done, the only thing he was fit for was rotting in jail. Rocksteady suppressed a choked sob and set the pitcher down again, rubbing his head with one hand.

The bartender approached again and Rocksteady wordlessly pushed more money towards him and stared down at the counter. Johnny took it with even more reluctance, but still filled the pitcher up a third time. Rocksteady barely acknowledged the man as he pulled the pitcher towards him and stared down at the bubbling amber liquid with a supremely depressed expression on his face. He was getting pretty sloshed but it still wasn't enough. Voices from the past continued to echo in his head, harsh and accusatory. He took another long drink of beer, trying to drown the memories under a sea of alcohol, but it still wasn't enough!

" _You bumbling ignoramuses!"_ shouted the angry and belligerent voice of Shredder inside Rocksteady's head, the insults still cutting deep into his psyche. As if in response, another voice from even farther in the past chimed in, adding to the fire.

" _You disappoint me boy. You a disgrace to our good name."_ The voice was deep, commanding, and manly, carrying a thick Russian accent. Even the memory sent a chill down Rocksteady's spine. It was the voice of someone who still haunted his worst nightmares.

" _Get this thing off me you ameba brain!"_ echoed back the voice of Shredder.

" _Nu ti dajosh! Peshka! Just how stupid are you?"_ Spoke the angry voice of his father.

" _Rocksteady you mutant muttonhead!"_ Growled back a memory of Shredder.

" _What is wrong with you!? U tebya cho ruki iz jopi rastut!? I'm never trusting you with this again!"_ Shouted his father's voice, even louder.

Rocksteady leaned forward and rested his head on his hands, squinting his eyes shut and digging his fingers into his forehead in a vain attempt to block out the thoughts. The voices shouted in his head, tearing into his soul; re-opening the wounds created by countless insults he'd endured in his life time. " _Cretin. Sabaka. Imbecilic buffoon. Waste of space. Incompetent maggot. Capitalist swine. Nuclear-age numbskull. Durak. Useless jellyfish. No son of mine."_ The memories tumbled through his mind, every insult stabbing into his soul, sending him spiraling further down into despondency and self pity. "Der'mo…" Rocksteady mumbled under his breath, using a word he'd been fond of in the distant past. His heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, and he could barely breathe. He let out a small sobbing gasp, feeling tears running down his face, and chugged the rest of his beer.

Johnny returned to Rocksteady's end of the bar as the mutant set the empty pitcher down again. He took the last bit of cash pushed towards him by the Rhino, but hesitated to fill the glass again. Rocksteady quickly rubbed his eyes with his arm, but not before the bartender caught sight of the tears on his face and the hollow haunted look in his bloodshot eyes. "Man, I can tell that whatever you're dealing with has got you really messed up. You should talk to someone, sitting here isn't going to help." He said sympathetically.

Rocksteady glared back at him. "Just pour da damn beer. Dat's what I'm payin ya for." He replied belligerently.

Johnny sighed and acquiesced. "Alright, but this is your last one." He said as he filled the pitcher a fourth time and pushed it towards the mutant. "You'd be under the table already if you were a normal guy. I'm not going to be party to you killing yourself."

Rocksteady growled lightly under his breath and let out a dismissive snort as he took the pitcher. He brought it to his mouth and drank slowly this time, letting the bitter strong taste of the cheap beer sit in his mouth for several seconds before he swallowed it like some unpleasant medicine. The current song playing over the bar's sound system came to an end and was replaced by something new; slower and mellow in comparison to the previous music. Rocksteady's ears perked up slightly at the sound of the slow guitar and drum beat, it was kind of soothing and melancholy, for a moment it pierced the dark veil of emotions and negativity swirling in his soul. The singer's voice was clear and strong, the quintessential rock voice that appealed to him in the music he listened to.

- _Our story's old, older than the wind. It's been this sad for years, how can we pretend? When we all know just how it's gonna end?-_

Rocksteady picked up his pitcher and drank deeply again.

- _Rescue me. In the middle of an ocean. Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe. Some say it's easier to give up on it, I say it's time to rescue me.-_

Rocksteady set the glass down and looked around the bar at the other patrons. Some talking with friends, laughing, hitting on woman, having a good time. Others just like him, alone and drinking their problems away.

 _-Lost and lonely people staring back, afraid to try. Some of them here, the same as you and I. The differences are all but left behind.-_

The music picked up, taking on a harder rock edge, resonating in his mind and heart. Rocksteady picked up his glass and kept drinking.

 _-So I need you now! Rescue me! In the middle of an ocean! Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe! Some say it's hard to make the changes! Rescue me and I'll never be the same! Rescue me, in the middle of my darkest hour! Time will tell, I never really had the power! Some say it's easier to give up on it, I say it's time to rescue me!-_

Rocksteady leaned forward again and laid his head in his hands. He thought of everything he'd messed up that day, everything he'd messed up in his whole life, and the weight of it all felt totally crushing. Could he ever get out from under it? Fresh tears ran down the sides of his face. After a moment he folded his arms across the bar in front of him, laid his head down on the surface behind them, and began crying. Scenes flashed through his mind; scenes of failure and terrible mistakes, of weakness and pain. But mixed in along with these were happier memories. Of Tyler and Angie. Of Bebop. Friendships and love. Everything that had kept him going, everything that could be lost in the blink of an eye.

 _-We gotta get out! How foolish have we been, to say it's all been a waste of time? We may lose, and we may win, but like the sun we will rise again. But until then…Rescue Me, in the middle of an ocean! Crashing down, it's always hard to breathe! Some say it's hard to make the changes! Rescue me and I'll never be the same! Rescue me, In the middle of my darkest hour! Time will tell, I never really had the power! Some say it's easier to give up on it, I say it's time to rescue me!-_

Rocksteady sat up straight, and snorted wetly, rubbing his eyes with one arm as he tried to compose himself. The nearest customers at the bar were staring at him, as was that nosy bartender. His breath hitched a few times and then he got it under control. He stared at the pitcher; there was still a fourth of beer left in it. He picked it up and finished off the drink. The bartender approached him again, a look of great concern on his face. He opened his mouth, ready to speak to the mutant again, and then he caught sight of something over Rocksteady's shoulder. His expression was confused for a moment, and then he suddenly smiled, reassured by what he'd seen. Rocksteady set the pitcher down. As the last strains of the song floated through the air, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder. Strong and firm, but familiar and comforting.

 _-Rescue me, in the middle of an ocean…-_

Rocksteady turned to see Bebop standing behind him. His friend smiled and raised his hand in an acknowledging wave. "Hey buddy. What ya doing in a place like dis?" he asked softly.

Rocksteady stared at the other mutant dully, uncomprehending. His brain seemed to be stuck in the wrong gear and he couldn't think as fast as he wanted to. "Wha…what are you doing here…" he slurred out, looking at his friend with unfocused eyes.

Bebop didn't answer the question but looked at his friend with worry. "You're drunk, dude." He said as he sat down on the stool next to Rocksteady.

Rocksteady rolled his eyes with annoyance. "Yeah, dat's kinda da point." He replied with annoyance as he looked away from Bebop, trying to avoid his eyes.

Bebop looked at the empty pitcher sitting in front of Rocksteady, the dregs of beer foam still hanging on the sides of the glass, and turned to Johnny the Bartender, who was standing a few feet away down the bar, watching the two of them. "What was he drinkin, and how many has he had?" he asked, pointing to the pitcher.

"Just beer. But that was his fourth pitcher." Johnny replied, prompting a wince from Bebop. "And his last. He's cut off now." The bartender added quickly.

Bebop nodded and gave the bartender a thumbs up. "Good." He said, and then turned to face his friend. "Four Pitchers? I'm surprised you can still sit up." he said with a bit of frustration in his voice.

Rocksteady glared sideways at the other mutant. "None of your business what I drink or how much! Why are you here anyway? Aint you s'pposed ta be at work?" he asked belligerently.

Bebop nodded his head. "I should be, but I called in sick. Findin you was more important." The mutant raised his shades and looked at Rocksteady with great concern. "Angie called me. Said you got really upset and then ran outta her place like you was sick or sometin. She's really woiried about ya Rocksteady. I was too. You didn't come home, you didn't call or nuttin. We was startin' to get scared." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Angie tink's it's her fault you're upset." Rocksteady looked down at the bar and refused to meet Bebop's eyes. Bebop leaned in, putting a concerned hand on his friend's shoulder. "DID she say sometin dat upset ya?" he asked tenderly.

Rocksteady growled and shrugged Bebop's hand away. "I just hadta get outta dere. I couldn't breathe. Too many questions…" he replied grumpily.

"Rocksteady, did dis have sometin to do wit what happened at woik today?" Bebop asked, and the tone of his voice cut through the haze of Rocksteady's drunken stupor. He turned and looked at his friend in surprise. Bebop nodded. "Yeah, I know. Yoir boss called again. He told me everthing." He stated soberly.

Rocksteady stared down at the bar again. He felt a wave of shame toward himself and a growing anger at both Bebop and his boss. That was private! They had no business discussing it behind his back. He glared at Bebop and then tried to change the subject. "So how'd ya find me anyway?" he asked.

Bebop smiled slightly and nodded towards his friend's waist. "Dat ting, of course."

Rocksteady looked down at the turtle com hanging from the belt loop of his pants. "But I turned it off." He objected, scratching his head,

Bebop nodded. "Yeah, I figured you did since you weren't answering my calls. When you didn't come home after a few hours I started gettin scared…" Bebop shifted his position and looked a little embarrassed, as he anticipated his friend's reaction. "So I called da toitles up and asked da smart one to find ya on his trackin device."

Rocksteady's eyes popped open in surprise and then he barred his teeth angrily. "You asked da shellbacks ta spy on me!?" he growled angrily.

Bebop smiled a bit sheepishly and shrugged. "Dey came wit me too. Dey're waitin outside." Rocksteady glared harder at Bebop and made as if to grab him, and the warthog held up his hands in a warding off gesture, leaning back slightly. "Hey, pal don't be mad! I was really worried about ya." Rocksteady hesitated and then backed off, still looking angry. Bebop let out a sigh of relief and continued. "You weren't answerin my calls, you didn't tell anyone were you was gonna be. For all I knew you could be hurt or dead or sometin. It was an emergency." He gave his companion a compassionate but serious look. "I tink yoir dodgin da issue Rocksteady."

Rocksteady snorted dismissively. "I aint dodgin nuttin." He said defensively, refusing to look at his friend.

Bebop sighed and shook his head sadly. "I don't guess it's really woik or Angie that's got you upset, dey just set ya off. You've been actin kinda weird and distant for weeks now. I can tell sometin's been botherin you." He looked at his friend with fresh concern. "I know you havn't been sleeping well lately."

Rocksteady's eyes widened in surprise again and he finally looked at Bebop, half surprised and half angry. "What? How do you know dat?" he asked quickly.

Bebop laughed a little at the absurdity of the question. "I sleep in the bunk underneat you. You tink I wouldn't notice?" he asked smiling. Rocksteady glared at him angrily and then turned away, a look of anxiety and shame coming over his face and he stared down at the bar. Bebop's smile faded and he reached out to put his hand back on Rocksteady's shoulder. "I can tell when yoir havin nightmares buddy. And when yoir layin awake all night cause you can't get back to sleep." He squeezed his friend's shoulder gently. "Dere aint nuttin to be ashamed of. Whatever's botherin you, you should talk about it. It's not good to keep it inside."

Rocksteady growled. "Why don't you just mind your own business!" he said, raising his voice as he shoved Bebop's hand away hard.

The other mutant was so startled he nearly fell backwards off the stool. He stared at his friend in stark surprise. "Rocksteady, I'm just tryin to help you." Bebop replied, a wounded look on his face.

Rocksteady glared back. "Well I didn't ask for it." He slurred back loudly, nearly shouting. His hands half-way balled into fists.

Immediately Johnny was there on the other side of the bar, staring at the mutant with a stern disapproving look. "I told you I won't tolerate any of that in my bar." He said in a harsh threatening voice. "You're scaring the other customers. If you're going to lash out then take it outside, or I'm calling the cops."

Rocksteady looked around the bar at the other customers, many staring at him now with obvious worry on their faces. He looked back at the bartender and snorted derisively. "Fine! I was just gonna leave anyway." He replied in a petulant drunk voice. He gave Bebop a mean challenging look and then turned and stomped off towards the exit, several patrons scrambling to get out of his way as he passed.

"Rocksteady wait!" Bebop called out as he regained his footing and quickly followed after his friend.

* * *

Rocksteady pulled the door open roughly and exited the establishment, stumbling and swaying a bit under the influence of the alcohol. He immediately spotted the four turtles standing together by the row of parking meters on the sidewalk across from the entrance. Michelangelo smiled brightly upon catching sight of him and waved. "Hey dude! We were getting worried about you." He called out.

Leonardo fixed him with a stern parental like expression. "You really should tell someone if you're going to be gone like this for a while. Bebop was worried sick about you." He said.

Rocksteady glowered at the turtles belligerently. "Why don't you shell-heads just stuff it. No one asked ya to come lookin for me." He responded.

Raphael scowled and crossed his arms. "You're welcome sunshine." He replied sarcastically.

"Rocksteady, that's not very nice." Donatello stated matter-of-factly. "What's gotten into you?"

Raphael wrinkled his nose and waived a hand in front of his face. "Woooh! Can't you smell it?" he asked. "I think we all know what's "gotten into" him." He continued, miming drinking from an invisible bottle.

Rocksteady glared angrily at the red turtle. "Just shut up and leave me alone!" he shouted, taking a threatening step towards the turtle.

"Hey, hey, no need to get violent." Raphael replied quickly, holding his hands up.

Behind Rocksteady the door flew open again and Bebop exited. Rocksteady turned his head and scowled at the other mutant. "Rocksteady wait up. Where are you going?" Bebop asked.

"I don't know or care. Just as long as it's away from all of yous guys." Rocksteady replied angrily.

Bebop's face fell at the response, but he didn't let himself lose hope. "Please Rocksteady, come back home wit me." He begged. "We can talk for as long as you want, we'll get dis all sorted out. You can't just run away from yoir feelins and problems."

"What business is it of yours what I do wit my life and my job and stuff, huh? What do you care!?" Rocksteady asked angrily. The turtles stared at him with surprise and Michelangelo gasped.

Bebop's face fell even further. "Dat…dat really hurts, Rocksteady." Bebop replied sadly. "Of course I'm gonna care about what's goin on wit ya. We're best buds. If yoir upset or hurt or scared or whatever, then it's da same for me too. I want to help you."

Rocksteady stared at his friend for a few moments and then slowly turned away. "Don't waste your time. I don't need your help. All of you just leave me alone." He said, turning his back on the group as he began to walk away.

A devastated panicked look came over Bebop's face. "Rocksteady…wait." Bebop said, his voice barely above a whisper. A tear rolled down the side of his face. Was this the end between them? After all these years was this how they'd part ways? Bebop shook his head and a new determined look came over his face. "Wait." He said in a louder more forceful voice. He jogged after the mutant Rhino and grabbed his left arm. "Rocksteady, wait!" He said again.

Rocksteady stopped but didn't turn around. "Let go of me." He growled menacingly.

"No, I won't" Bebop replied forcefully. "I'm your friend. I aint gonna let you go off on yoir own and do sometin you might regret later. You can't even walk straight, you're gonna get yoirself hoit." He smiled and loosened his grip slightly, trying to convey a more comforting and friendly attitude. "Come back to da apartment and get some sleep, pal. You'll feel bettah in da mornin. When you're all sobered up we can talk and get to da bottom of all dis." He continued in a softer more soothing voice. "What do you say?"

The turtles all watched silently, waiting to hear what would happen. Rocksteady clenched his teeth and felt boiling anger rising up inside him. Why couldn't they just leave him the heck alone!? None of them understood anything, especially Bebop. How could he ever understand? He had it all together; the perfect job, a stable income, a great life. He always knew what to do, he always had the answers. How could Bebop possibly understand what he was going through? And yet his so called friend thought it was his right to butt in and tell him how to deal with his own problems. Rocksteady slowly closed his hands into tight fists, letting the anger flow through him and grant him strength. "I said…LET GO OF ME!" he shouted. Bebop startled back slightly at the force of the outburst; as soon as Rocksteady felt his friend's hand leave his arm he whirled around and slammed his fist into Bebop's left eye, mashing his purple shades against his eye socket bone.

The only sounds in the air where the thunk of fist against flesh and the loud snap of breaking plastic. The turtles stared ahead in shocked silence, frozen in place. Bebop staggered back, his broken shades clattering to the ground at his feet. He looked up at Rocksteady, an expression of utter shock and hurt stretched across his face. A small trickle of blood ran down the side of his snout, from a shallow cut dug by the broken plastic of his shades. The eye was already beginning to swell. "Rocksteady…what the..." Bebop stammered out, his hand going to his battered face. Rocksteady let out a guttural growl in response and lunged forward clumsily, swinging his fists, burning anger in his eyes.

Rocksteady swung his left fist awkwardly at Bebop's head and the other mutant stepped back a pace, dodging the blow, still half in shock. The Rhino raised his right fist to take another swing when Raphael and Leonardo jumped on his back, each grabbing an arm. Michelangelo and Donatello were right behind them, moving in to add their efforts to holding the larger mutant back. "Alright, that's enough you big galoot!" Raphael shouted as he struggled with Rocksteady's right arm.

"Rocksteady calm down, or someone's going to call the police and you'll end up spending the night in jail!" Leonardo warned as he pulled back the mutant's left arm.

Rocksteady growled and struggled furiously. "You creeps let go of my NOW!" he shouted as he bucked his torso back with all his strength, sending Leonardo and Raphael flying backwards straight into the other two turtles. He immediately turned his attention back to Bebop and charged towards him.

The four turtles lay in a heap on the ground at the edge of the sidewalk. "Well that worked out just peachy." Donatello quipped sarcastically as he pushed Raphael off himself and climbed to his feet.

Leonardo helped Michelangelo up and then turned to observe the fight. "Weapons ready guys. We may need to knock him out." He said to the other turtles. "Just be careful not to hurt him."

Bebop ducked a slow clumsy punch for Rocksteady and spotted the turtles approaching. "No stop!" he shouted. "Let me handle dis."

Raphael looked at the warthog like he'd lost his mind. "Are you crazy? You're both going to end up in the hospital at this rate."

"Raphael is right. Let us help." Michelangelo pleaded.

"No" Bebop replied as he avoided another punch. "You'll just make it woise. He's my friend, and right now he's out of his mind drunk. I'll take responsibility."

Rocksteady snarled. "Quit talkin bout me like I aint here!" he shouted, aiming a kick at Bebop's belly.

"Please!" Bebop shouted, catching Rocksteady's foot with his hand and pushing him back.

Leonardo slowly nodded and lowered his weapons. "Alright, we'll honor your wishes." He replied. The others looked at him with surprise, but Leonardo shot back a stern look, silencing their objections.

Bebop turned his attention back to his inebriated friend. Rocksteady pressed the attack, aiming punch after punch at his friend's head and torso, but Bebop seemed to dodge every attack with ease. Rocksteady felt like he was moving in slow motion; no matter how he tried he couldn't get his body to move at the speed he needed it to. His vision was blurry and his feet wobbled precariously. Every near miss just served to increase his fury more and more, and he continued to attack. "Just stay still already." He stuttered out lamely as he aimed another punch

Bebop caught the other mutant's fist easily in his own and grabbed on, pulling the other mutant forward. "Rocksteady, please stop!" He pleaded, looking into his friend's eyes, not flinching away from the anger he saw there. "I don't want to fight you. What is dis gonna solve?" he asked.

"Shut up and leggo of me!" Rocksteady replied, before lunging forward to try and head butt the other mutant. Bebop dodged to the side, letting go of Rocksteady's fist, and the mutant stumbled forward from the momentum. His feet slipped on the pavement and Rocksteady fell forward, right into the large window in front of Honest Johnny's Bar and Grill.

The glass spider-webbed out from the point of impact, but miraculously did not break. Rocksteady pistoned his feet against the sidewalk, trying to regain his balance, and put his full weight on the window as he pushed off. The glass shattered with a loud crash and Rocksteady fell face first into the building, landing hard on a, thankfully empty, table on the other side of the window. Shrieks of surprise and fear could be heard from inside the building as patrons scrambled away from the entrance side of the bar.

"Rocksteady!" Bebop shouted fearfully, and immediately he was at his friend's side, grabbing the back of his shirt and pants as he tried to help him get upright. Rocksteady regained his feet; it felt like the whole world was spinning. He noticed Bebop beside him and shoved him away clumsily. Bebop looked at him with a hurt expression on his face. "I was just trying to help…" he began.

Rocksteady looked himself over for injuries. His hands and forearms were covered in shallow cuts and scratches from the glass but nothing looked really serious upon first glance. Rocksteady moved his right arm and felt a deep sharp pain just above his elbow. He looked closely, squinting in the dim light to find the source of the pain; at first he didn't see anything, then he shifted his arm and caught sight of a three inch long cut in the gray flesh. The edges of the wound pulled apart slightly as he moved and Rocksteady saw the red meat on the inside of his arm; the sight of it sent a wave of nausea through the mutant and he had to fight back the urge to puke. Seconds later a gout of blood spurted from the cut and began to flow down his arm, dripping off his elbow onto the sidewalk below.

Bebop hissed through his teeth and winced sympathetically as he looked at the wound. "Dat looks pretty nasty Rocksteady." He said as he approached his friend. He put his left arm around the rhino's shoulders and smiled kindly. "Come on buddy, let's get you home now and get dat cut looked at. We've all had plenty of excitement for one night." He looked up through the broken window, where sounds of the commotion inside were still going on. "Bet da owner will be out here any second to yell at us." He commented to himself.

Rocksteady turned his head to look at Bebop, and felt his drunken anger flare up again. Balling his left hand into a fist, he turned and smashed it hard in his friend's belly.

Bebop doubled over in pain, as all the air whooshed out of his lungs in one moment. Rocksteady growled and kicked him in the shoulder, sending the mutant reeling back into the brick wall next to the window. "Rock…why…" Bebop gasped out as he tried to catch his breath.

Rocksteady clenched his fists and glared furiously. "Dis is all your fault. Why didn't you just leave me alone!?" he shouted.

The door to the bar suddenly burst open and Johnny stepped out, glancing between the two mutants with fury in his eyes. "What the hell is going on out here…Whoa!" His shout of anger turning to surprise as Rocksteady charged forward towards Bebop.

Rocksteady raised his fists and began wailing on the other mutant relentlessly. Bebop blocked some of the attacks but Rocksteady had him pinned up against the brick wall and there was little room to dodge away. Rocksteady let his anger fill his whole body, permeating everything as he pummeled his friend like a punching bag. Bebop held his arms up in front of his head to protect his face and eyes and took the brutal beating. "Rocksteady…please…stop…" he choked out, tears running down the side of his face.

"Leonardo, I think it's time we stepped in." Donatello commented with worry.

Raphael nodded, looking distressed. "Yeah, fearless leader. If we don't do something soon he's gonna kill Bebop!"

Leonardo nodded reluctantly. He hated to have to break a promise, but they had no choice. "Alright guys, let's end this." He said with conviction.

Rocksteady didn't hear the turtles behind him, everything was tuned out except the raging drunken anger in his head. He let up on his attack and took a step back, staring at his dazed and bruised friend, leaning against the brick wall. Rocksteady clenched his right hand into a tight hard fist, pulled back, and let it fly, putting every ounce of strength and speed his could muster into this one punch, aiming straight for Bebop's face. Bebop saw the punch coming straight towards him and slid to the side in the nick of time; Rocksteady's fist sailed by his head, only millimeters away, and smashed with full force into the brick wall behind Bebop.

For Rocksteady everything seemed like it was going in slow motion. His fist hit the wall with enough force to crater the bricks, and the jolt of the impact shook his whole body. He felt and heard something pop in his hand and then pure burning agony bloomed in his fist, traveling all the way up his arm into his shoulder and neck, blotting out everything else. "AAAAAAAARRRRRGHHH!" Rocksteady bellowed in pain as he staggered back clutching his smashed hand to his chest. His feet tangled up against each other and he fell hard on his butt, the impact sending another unbearable jolt of pain through his right side, and he yelled again. It hurt so much! It felt like his hand had been completely smashed, it didn't even feel like a hand anymore, just a massive blob of throbbing burning fire. It was almost as bad as being shot. Forgetting his anger, his dignity, and everything else around him, Rocksteady burst out crying, like a small injured child.

The rest of the group stared dumbfounded at the scene in front of them. It had happened so fast, one second Rocksteady had launched a massive punch straight for Bebop and the next he was on the floor, howling like a dying animal. Seeing the tears and pain in his friend's eyes finally snapped Bebop out of his shock and he was immediately kneeling at Rocksteady's side, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's ok pal I'm here. It's alright." He said soothingly.

Johnny finally broke his own paralysis and approached the two mutants. He looked from the shattered window to the small crater in the brick wall to the mutants sitting on the sidewalk and his face filled with anger. "I'm calling the cops! I knew you two mutants were going to be trouble as soon as you walked in." he commented angrily.

"No please don't!" Bebop pleaded as he turned to look up at the angry owner. "I'm really sorry 'bout dis. I'll pay for da window and all damages, I promise. Just…" He turned and looked at his friend, pity and compassion mixing across his face. "He's not a bad guy, he's just really drunk is all. Not in his right mind. I won't let him cause any more trouble, I promise."

Leonardo stepped forward to address Johnny. "Sir, we can vouch for what he says. There's no need to involve the police. We'll get things under control." He said with conviction.

"Besides…" began Michelangelo, gesturing towards Rocksteady. "Look at him now. I think the worst has passed."

Johnny looked at Rocksteady, crying pitifully and clutching his injured hand, and his expression softened slightly. "Alright, you win." He said.

Bebop smiled with gratitude. "Tanks a lot." He responded.

Johnny frowned and gave Bebop a stern look. "But I expect payment from you guys for the window you broke, got it?" he asked.

Bebop nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. I'll call ya later so we can exchange information." He said.

"Sir, thank you very much for understanding." Leonardo said, bowing slightly.

"Yeah dude, you're cool in my book." Michelangelo added smiling.

"No problem" Johnny replied with a slight smile, before he turning to re-enter his establishment to organize the cleanup.

The four turtles turned back to the other mutants. "So…now what?" asked Raphael.

Leonardo shrugged tiredly. "I guess we help them get back home." He said.

Bebop smiled up at the turtles. "Tanks guys. But I tink I'll be able to take it from here." He said, before turning his attention back to his friend. "Rocksteady, let me see your hand. It's ok." He said in a soft voice, like he was talking to a scared child. He reached out and cupped the other mutant's right hand as gently as possible with his own.

"Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow," Rocksteady whimpered pitifully as Bebop drew his arm forward to get a better look at the hand. Tears of pain flowed down his face and he winced and gritted his teeth as Bebop VERY gently touched and examined the hand.

The warthog hissed through his teeth sympathetically. Two of Rocksteady's knuckles were split open and bleeding moderately and he could see bits of brick and dirt ground into the skin and cuts. The hand itself was also starting to swell badly, all the way up to the wrist. Gently, Bebop pulled a shard of brick out of one of the split knuckles, prompting a small yelp from Rocksteady. Bebop winced at the sound. "Sorry. I bet it really hoits like hell." He replied as he let go of the hand. "We'll ice it down as soon as we get back to our place. Dat'll make it feel better, I promise." He said reassuringly. He looked up and his eyes fell on the cut on Rocksteady's arm, still sluggishly dripping blood. 'Geez, you're still bleedin'." He said as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a folded bandanna, which he pressed firmly against the wound. "Here, hold dis on it, it should help." Rocksteady didn't reply, but continued to stare ahead, his crying dying down, though tears still dripped down his face and his breath hitched every few seconds. Bebop looked up into his friend's face and smiled. "So you ready to go home, buddy?" he asked.

Rocksteady shifted his gaze to meet Bebop's eyes and slowly nodded. …And then punched him square in the side of his face with his left fist!

Bebop fell on his side and slid towards the turtles. He came to a rest and did not move. A shocked silence fell over the entire group as the Turtles stared at Rocksteady in horror. "Man, not cool!" shouted Raphael angrily, his hands going to his weapons.

Rocksteady stumbled to his feet, his right arm hanging uselessly at his side and glared back at the turtles. "You want some too, shellbacks?" he slurred at them.

Donatello drew his Bo and brought it to the defensive positon. "I think it's time we taught this guy a lesson." He stated angrily.

Raphael nodded in agreement. "You've got my vote."

"And mine." Michelangelo added, his usual good humor completely evaporated.

Leonardo nodded and moved into a karate stance. "Alright, but we still should avoid hurting him too much."

"Sorry Leonardo, but I can't promise I'm going to hold back." Raphael replied angrily. "He's crossed the line."

Rocksteady growled and raised his left fist and the turtles prepared to do battle. "No, stop!" A voice spoke up from the ground. The turtles all looked down. It was Bebop. The battered mutant slowly climbed to his feet, blood dripping from the right side of his mouth. As he gained his balance he spit to the side and they heard something clatter across the pavement. A tooth. "I'm going to handle dis." Bebop stated as he faced Rocksteady.

"But…" Leonardo began, before Bebop held up a hand, cutting him off.

"Dis is my job." Bebop replied. He took a step towards Rocksteady and the Rhino saw real anger in his friend's eyes for the first time that night. "What is your problem, rock head!?" he shouted angrily. "All I was doin was tryin to help! Even when you was beatin on me I was still worried when you hoit yoirself. And you still won't let up, even now?!"

Rocksteady felt shame and fear bubble up underneath his anger and he looked away from Bebop's piercing stare. "You don't know what I'm goin trough. You don't understand!" he growled.

"Den tell me already!" Bebop shouted back.

Rocksteady shook his head angrily. "Dere's no point. You can't understand. I…I…" Waves of grief and shame and anxiety overwhelmed him, making him feel sick to his stomach. The truth was…the truth was… even he didn't know what was wrong! None of this even made sense to him. He'd just been overwhelmed by an unexplainable assault of uncertainty and inferiority and pessimism. But he knew Bebop would never understand, could never understand. Rocksteady ground his teeth and shook his fist towards his friend. "You just can't! You have it all together. You always have. Always got da right answers, always know what to do. Your job is perfect, you don't have any problems, and you tink dat means you can tell me what to do!"

Bebop snorted in annoyance. "I ain't trying to tell you what to do, you stubborn joik! I just…I just…" The anger drained from the mutant's face and now he just looked weary and exhausted. "I'm scared dat yoir gonna hoit yoirself more or do sometin even worse. I just want you to tell me what's wrong! Nuttin will get bettah if you don't ask for help!" He slowly raised his hand, extending it towards the other mutant. His eyes were desperate and pleading. "Please Rocksteady, just come home."

For a brief moment Rocksteady engaged in a titanic internal struggle. Part of him desperately wanted to give in, to just take his friend's offered hand of peace and go home. His vision was now pretty blurry and had started doubling up. His whole body was shaky and it felt like the ground was turning to jello. He was exhausted, sick, in pain, and beyond drunk; part of him knew it was only a matter of time, probably only minutes, before he'd lose the ability to even put up a struggle. Wouldn't it be wonderful to just give up, go home, fall into bed and sleep like he'd never slept before? Until all of these feelings finally subsided? Part of him wanted that more than anything, but the anger was still there inside him, boiling under the surface. And in the midst of his inebriation, Rocksteady stubbornly clung to that anger like a shield and refused to drop his guard. He narrowed his eyes at Bebop and slowly raised his left fist, preparing to continue the fight.

Bebop's face fell in heart-breaking disappointment. "Rocksteady please…" he began, his expression contorted in pain and grief. "You're already hoit enough. I don't want to havta fight back. Don't make me force you to stop." He pleaded.

Rocksteady sneered and snorted dismissively. "Let's see you try." He slurred out, raising his fist to a fighting stance. He watched Bebop for a few moments, and then lunged forward.

The attack was clumsy and slow. Everything felt like it was going slow and super-fast at the same time; his whole body was finally rebelling against him, but Rocksteady stubbornly pushed himself forward with sheer willpower. He threw a clumsy punch at Bebop, who stepped easily out of the way, and Rocksteady was momentarily disoriented and nearly lost his footing as he pulled up and began to turn towards the other mutant. "I'm sorry buddy." He heard Bebop speak from off to his right, and then suddenly something smashed down on his snout like a ton of bricks.

Flashing stars exploded in Rocksteady's vision, blocking out everything else. He howled in pain and surprise and fell to his knees, clutching his face. Waves of throbbing fire and tingly numbness ran up and down his whole head, radiating out from the middle of his snout. A huge overwhelming wave of nausea hit him like a freight train and he heard his stomach gurgle and roll and knew he was moments away from losing his lunch. He fell forward onto his hands, barely even feeling the renewed roar of pain in his right arm, and vomited his dinner and drinks onto the pavement. _"Dat…dirty…cheat. He knows I'm…"_ was the last fragmented thought that went through Rocksteady's mind, before everything went black.

* * *

Rocksteady made a clumsy drunken lunge at Bebop, throwing a slow punch that the mutant sidestepped with ease. Bebop could tell Rocksteady was nearly at the end of his stamina, maybe this move wouldn't even be necessary, but it was the quickest way to put an end to this once and for all. Bebop quickly laced both his hands together into one large fist. "I'm sorry buddy." He stated, his heart aching with regret as he raised his hands over his head. As Rocksteady slowly began to turn, Bebop brought his fists down like a club and slammed him across the middle of his snout, right between his two horns.

Rocksteady howled in pain and surprise, his hands instantly clutching at his snout as he stumbled forward and then dropped to his knees. Bebop heard the loud rolling gurgle of Rocksteady's stomach and then the mutant fell forward onto his hands and puked his stomach out onto the sidewalk next to a fire hydrant. The smell was ripe and sour.

"Ah, nasty!" Michelangelo called out, as all four turtles took a step back from the sick Rhino.

After nearly a full minute of retching, Rocksteady slowly sat back up on his knees, his upper body swaying unsteadily. His eyes were blank and hollow, and stared unblinkingly ahead. It was over, he was done. Completely out of it. Seeing such a hollow stare in his friend's eyes sent a sharp stab of pain and remorse through Bebop's heart, but he swallowed the feeling. He'd had to do it. "Rocksteady…" he said tentatively as he approached his friend. Rocksteady did not move or respond. His upper body swayed for a few seconds and then his eyes rolled up slightly in the sockets, showing only yellow, and he fell forward, unconscious. Bebop rushed forward and tried to grab his friend before he could fall face first into his own puke; he snatched at Rocksteady's right shoulder, his hand closing around the sleeve of his t-shirt. Rocksteady's body turned, his left side still falling, and the side of his face struck against the fire hydrant. The loud metallic clang echoed through the night.

"That had to hurt." Donatello stated, wincing in sympathy.

Bebop felt another stab of guilt shoot through him. "Sorry buddy." He apologized as he stepped forward and got a better grip on Rocksteady's arm. He gently dragged the mutant away from the hydrant and the puddle of vomit and carefully laid him down on the pavement. Sitting up, Bebop slowly looked over his friend with worry in his eyes. "Please don't have a concussion or sometin." He pleaded.

The four turtles approached, all looking relieved themselves. Donatello knelt down next to Rocksteady and gripped his left wrist, taking his pulse, as he also looked him over. After a moment he set the hand down and looked up at Bebop, smiling. "I think he's ok Bebop. Just unconscious. He'll have a pretty good shiner though, and will probably wake up with a tremendous hangover." He said, patting the other mutant on the shoulder.

"Guess you'll match then." Michelangelo stated, nodding towards Bebop's own black eye.

"He went down pretty fast for just one hit." Raphael commented, looking a bit impressed.

Bebop nodded and sighed. "Yeah. He's kinda sensitive in dat area. He used to bonk his horn all da time on da ceiling back in da Technodrome, said it hoit like hell, was like getting hit on yoir funny bone." He explained. "I figured wit him already so drunk, a hit on the snout would be enough to end tings."

"Well, you guessed right." Leonardo said, looking down at the unconscious Rhino.

Bebop slowly looked his friend over. A large bruised knot was already forming on the center of his snout, behind the front horn, and his left eye was starting to swell from the hit on the fire hydrant, but otherwise he seemed to be breathing ok and everything, just like Donatello said. A few tears of relief leaked from the corners of Bebop's eyes and he wiped them away. "I'm sorry I hadta do dat pal." He spoke softly, running a hand affectionately across Rocksteady's head. "I didn't wanna hoit you."

Raphael snorted. "After all he the crap he just put you through you're apologizing to him?" he asked angrily.

Leonardo gasped in surprise. "RAPHAEL! Language!" he exclaimed.

Raphael looked at the other turtle and rolled his eyes. "This show went off the rails a long time ago Leonardo. I don't think we have to worry about network censors anymore." He replied.

"It's not really his fault." Bebop stated sadly. "Sometin's been bothering him dese past few weeks. He's been in a lotta pain, and he didn't know how to deal wit it." The mutant clenched his fist angrily, and then slammed it hard into the ground. "I shoulda tried to confront him sooner. I nevah should have let him go to Angie's. I knew sometin was wrong, but I didn't push hard enough to get him to talk to me."

Leonardo put a hand on Bebop's shoulder. "It's not your fault. You did the best you could."

Raphael glared down at Rocksteady's unconscious body. "What does he have to be upset about anyway?" he asked angrily. "You two have jobs on the surface and an apartment and are living like regular guys. WE don't even have that yet."

Leonardo gave the other turtle a disapproving look. "Alright, that's enough Raphael." He said sternly.

Bebop shook his head. "It's ok." He replied. "I don't know why he's upset, but I have kind of a feeling about it. Rocksteady he…he, like, internalizes stuff a lot more dan I do. All dose years of being failures and constantly yelled at and insulted by Shreddah and Krang and everyone else; dey hoit him way more dan dey did me. He's probably dealin wit sometin like dat." He sighed painfully. "I just wish I knew how to help him." He said as he glanced over his friend again, his eyes falling on the cut on Rocksteady's right arm, still sluggishly dripping blood. Looking to the side, Bebop spotted his bandana where it had fallen earlier, and reached out to grab it. Turning back to his friend, Bebop began to gently clean the blood away from the cut with the cloth.

Raphael crossed his arms grumpily. "Whatever. I'm surprised you can even stand to look at him right now."

Bebop shrugged and continued cleaning his friend's wound. "He's my best friend. Dat won't ever change. I'd give my life for him if I had to."

"Do you really think he feels the same way anymore?" Raphael asked, earning him sharp glances from the other turtles, and a sudden swat on the arm from Michelangelo. "Ow! Hey!" Raphael protested.

"There's a little thing called "tact" that I think you should read up on Raphael." Michelangelo stated with uncharacteristic anger.

"And I don't think Master Splinter would approve of your attitude at the moment." Donatello added pointedly.

Raphael threw up his hands in exasperation. "Ok, ok, don't have a cow!" he exclaimed before looking down at Bebop. "I'm sorry." He responded a little half-heartedly. "I guess I'm kind of grumpy after all this trouble is all." He explained.

"Dat's alright. No hard feelins." Bebop replied, looking up and giving Raphael a small smile, before turning back to his work. He finished cleaning the cut and pressed the bandana against the wound, while he awkwardly tried to reach into Rocksteady's right back pocket. After a moment he managed to pull Rocksteady's bandanna out of the pocket and carefully tied it around the pad on his arm, creating a makeshift bandage.

Michelangelo watched him finish up and gave him a kind, encouraging smile. "It's really cool how close you guys are. I'm sure things will work out." He commented.

"Tanks." Bebop replied. He put a hand on Rocksteady's shoulder, feeling the slow rise and fall of his torso as he breathed in and out, feeling overwhelming affection and concern for the other mutant. "He's like da brudder I nevah had." He began, his voice weighted with emotion. The four turtles paused and looked at him with renewed attention, catching the change in his tone. "I nevah really had any family, just got shuffled around place to place. No one evah wanted me for more dan a few months. Kept changing schools; nevah made any friends, just a lot of enemies. I was always on my own. Ended up letting myself get pushed too far, and did sometin I couldn't fix or take back. Had to go on da run." Bebop took a deep breath and shuddered a little, as if the memory was too difficult to recall even in such vague terms. As he watched Rocksteady sleep, a warm smile came to his lips, and he squeezed the other mutant's shoulder gently. "Dis guy here saved my life." He continued, his voice choking up with sudden emotion. "I'm sure if I hadn't met him, I wouldn't be here today, or anywhere. And prolly its da same for him too. We needed each udder." Bebop wiped some tears away from his eyes and sniffed loudly. "He gave me back da hope I'd lost." He finished.

"Wow, that's pretty cool Bebop!" Michelangelo stated. The other turtles all nodded in agreement, even Raphael.

Bebop looked up at them with surprise and then blushed slightly, as if he had forgotten they were there until that moment. "Um…sorry for unloadin all dat on ya. Didn't mean to get so serious." He said, rubbing the back of his head with embarrassment. He looked back down at Rocksteady and nodded to himself as he made a decision. "Guess I'd bettah go inside and see if dey'll let me call a cab. I need to get Rocksteady home."

"What are you talking about dude?" Michelangelo exclaimed. "The Turtle van is just around the corner. We can give you a ride home."

Bebop shook his head. "I've already caused you guys enough trouble tonight. I can handle gettin us home." He responded.

Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello all looked at Leonardo expectantly. The leader turtle looked like he was seriously thinking. Finally he sighed and nodded to the others, before focusing on Bebop. "You know, our lair is a lot closer to here than your apartment building. If you want, you can crash there for the night." He offered.

Donatello's eyes lit up and he nodded. "Yeah, and Master Splinter could take a look at Rocksteady's arm, see if that cut needs stitches. He's pretty good at that."

Michelangelo laughed. "Yeah, he's had plenty of practice on us over the years!"

Bebop looked genuinely surprised and a little embarrassed. "We couldn't do dat!" he replied.

Leonardo looked at the other mutant patiently. "Weren't you just telling Rocksteady that he should be willing to ask for help? I think the same applies to you too, you know?" He smiled gently. "It won't be any trouble for us. Maybe Master Splinter could even help with getting Rocksteady to open up later."

Bebop still looked unsure of accepting the offer. Raphael snorted and rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Come on. You don't really want to have to drag that big doofus up five flights of stairs do you? And it will save you the cab fare." He said.

Bebop looked at Raphael with surprise and then smiled, and the turtle smiled back. "Alright, we'll come." He said, prompting smiles and a high-five between Michelangelo and Raphael. He turned around and gently pulled Rocksteady up into a sitting position. Holding onto his arms, Bebop moved around in front of him until he was crouched down in front of the unconscious Rhino. He pulled Rocksteady's arms forward, around his shoulders, and prepared to hoist him up onto his back.

"Hey, you're going to strain yourself doing that. Let us help." Donatello offered, as he and Michelangelo approached from behind.

Bebop shook his head and then cracked a small knowing smile. "Nah. Tanks but dis at least should be my job. And it's no big deal. He aint heavy…"

Michelangelo smiled and completed the reference. "He's your brother."

Bebop nodded and pulled Rocksteady onto his back, straining as he lifted his huge bulk onto his shoulders. He quickly laced both his hands into a seat behind his back, under Rocksteady's butt, and climbed to his feet. Rocksteady snorted and let out a small groan, then began to snore loudly.

Raphael glared. "Guess he's having a good time." He commented.

"Let's get going everyone." Leonardo stated as he moved to the head of the group to lead them back to the van.

"Hang on pal. Everyting will be bettah in da morning." Bebop whispered to Rocksteady, as he shifted his friend up a little higher and started off after the turtles.


	18. Chapter 17: Dreams and Reality

-17-

Dreams and Reality

 _-No, this wasn't right!_

 _Rocksteady was standing in some kind of open concrete pit, ringed with high walls, like some sort of gladiator arena. Crowded along the edges of the wall were thrawns of foot soldiers. But they were different than normal, their uniforms were black instead of purple, the eyes of their masks a bright blood red. The way they moved, completely natural and fluid, instead of stiff, the mutant realized that they were human, not robots! What was going on? Along the sidelines Rocksteady spotted Shredder, taller and meaner and darker looking than he'd ever seen him looking before. Standing beside him was a young Japanese woman, clad in similarly colored armor, watching on with cold steely eyes. Rocksteady thought she looked like that Lotus Blossom woman they had met several years ago, but then a name came unbidden to his mind. "Karai. Dat's Karai." The thought suddenly terrified Rocksteady. Wasn't that the woman from the other turtles' dimension? What was going on!? Where was he?_

 _Bebop was there in the arena next to him, and Rocksteady saw that he looked different too. Bigger, buffer, meaner, with more piercings. And he was changed as well. His body was gigantic and more animalistic than before! He was some kind of super mutant now!_

 _They were fighting. As their opponents flipped and dodged around them, Rocksteady realized it was the turtles! The orange and red ones, Michelangelo and Raphael. He and Bebop charged, punching and kicking and grabbing, trying to pummel the agile reptiles into submission. Rocksteady was overwhelmed by a surge of negative emotions; murderous rage and sadistic pleasure, and he internally recoiled in disgust. NO! This was all wrong! The turtles were there friends now! Why were they fighting each other again? And the way he felt…He didn't just want to beat the turtles, he wanted to KILL them! Painfully, gruesomely. He wanted to rip them limb from limb, see their blood splattered on the concrete, and see their guts spilling out into the open air. There was no remorse or hesitation in those feelings at all, no sense of right or wrong. He was totally out of control._

 _Rocksteady screamed inside his own head, trying in vain to stop himself from fighting, but it was no use. It was like he was watching a movie through his own eyes, he could see everything that was happening, feel every sensation and every emotion and thought that was occurring, but was powerless to do anything. He felt like he was split in two; he was still himself but he was also this other Rocksteady; the sensation made him feel like he was going insane!_

 _The two hulking mutants charged at the turtles, who leapt out of the way, causing Rocksteady and Bebop to smash into each other with full force. They climbed to their feet and turned to face their opponents, and Rocksteady noticed that there were only three turtles present, along with a strange turtle shaped robot. The purple turtle, Donatello, was missing. Where was he? Those four mutants were never apart. As this thought passed through his mind, Rocksteady felt the answer rise up in his brain unbidden, and he again recoiled in utter horror and shock. "Da nerdy turtle is dead. I killed him." Images shot through his mind at lightning speed. A dirty garage. A sledge hammer. Donatello's cracked shell. Blood everywhere. Him and Bebop walking away, laughing and making jokes. Overwhelming waves of nausea and disgust came over Rocksteady, as he realized that his other self intended to do the exact same thing to the remaining turtles, and that he would enjoy it. Without pity or remorse. He was a monster. Rocksteady cried inside his own head, desperately exerting all his mental will to stop himself, to stop this pointless battle. Was this some kind of punishment? Was the universe showing him the truth of what he was? Deep down inside was this the real Rocksteady? "No, no, stop it, dis aint right!" he shouted in anguish inside his own head. "Dis aint me no more! I'm not a bad guy, I'm not! I was never dis bad! I'm not a killer, I'M NOT A KILLER! No, no, no, no, no, no…."-_

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

Rocksteady startled violently awake, sitting up so quickly that he bonked his horn hard against the metal roof above his bed. Stars flashed in his vision and he reflexively grabbed his face, groaning in pain. The remnants of the dream still clinging to his mind, he momentarily forgot where he was or the orientation of his body, and lost his balance, tumbling out of the top bunk and landing hard on the cold metal floor below. Rocksteady groaned loudly and rubbed at his face. Darn, it really hurt! A whole lot more than it usually did when he hit his horn! It felt like something had walloped him hard right across the snout. Clumsily the mutant climbed to his feet and stumbled into the connecting bathroom, sticking his head into the sink as he twisted the water faucet on full blast. "Aaaaah, dat's bettah." He sighed as the ice cold water flowed over his horns and snout. He let his large head rest awkwardly on the bottom of the basin, holding onto the sides of the sink as support, and closed his eyes, letting the water flow over him, soothing the sore throbbing pain in his face.

After a minute or so, Rocksteady opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings, and the last remnants of his dreams finally faded away. He was in the room he shared with Bebop on the Technodrome. His home for nearly ten years. The only one he had. The same familiar walls, the same junk strewn floors and dirty bathroom, the same ratty furniture and broken down TV. That scary arena with the foot soldiers watching them, that violent battle to the death, and all the other stuff too, it had all been a dream; the longest, most complicated, most vivid dream he had ever had. And talk about crazy! Him and Bebop becoming friends with some random little kid they met by accident, deciding to quit Shredder and start brand new lives, living like normal New York schlubs in an apartment with jobs and everything? Falling in love with someone? In what insane mixed-up universe would any of those things actually happen? Of course it had been a dream. He and Bebop were henchman, working for an evil super villain. They were bad to the bone, and the Turtles were their sworn enemies. That was reality. But…it hadn't really been a bad dream. Sure, there had been some scary and painful parts, like getting shot, or having their secrets exposed in front of the sister, and who knew what was going on with that last bit? But overall the dream had actually been…kinda nice. More than nice even.

Rocksteady reached up, turned off the water, and raised his dripping head out of the basin. He grabbed a dirty towel lying on the floor under the sink and dried his face the best his could as he climbed to his feet and walked back into the main room, glancing around. This was his life; it would always be his life. That dream had been nothing more than a crazy fantasy. So…why did it hurt so much? Rocksteady felt like there was a void inside his heart, like something had been ripped out of his soul. He grimaced in pain and clutched one hand to his chest, and suddenly felt tears coming to his eyes. Even if it had all been a dream…it had still been the most amazing and wonderful experience he could remember. He'd been happy, REALLY happy. Rocksteady stared around the room, taking in all his and Bebop's broken down junk scattered across the floor; the refuse of their lives. Was this really the life he wanted to live anymore? Fighting and failing and being put down constantly by his employers? Why were they even doing this? He couldn't honestly remember anymore. Suddenly, in the wake of his strangely vivid and powerful dream, getting up to yet another day of fighting the turtles and carrying out Shredder's evil schemes felt like the very last thing Rocksteady wanted to do; everything around him seemed pale and dull and lifeless, completely without passion or soul. Like the dream had been the actual reality, and this was the nightmare instead.

Rocksteady shook his head and tried to fight off these ridiculous feelings. He was thinking craziness. Just letting the power of the dream overwhelm him. It would probably pass in a while, but Rocksteady suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to talk to Bebop. His friend would be able to cheer him up and set him straight in no time flat. "Hey, Bebop, wake up! I've got sometin to tell…" Rocksteady began as he trudged towards their bunk beds, but the sentence died in his mouth as he caught sight of the bottom bunk.

It was completely empty, and the sheets were actually made up neatly. It looked like no one had slept in it for days. Rocksteady felt a stab of panic in his heart. What the heck was going on! Where was Bebop!? Rocksteady tried to tell himself that the other mutant probably just woke up first and left, but the panic was too strong. Bebop never made his bed, and it looked like a lot of his stuff was missing from around the room too! Something had happened!

Just then the intercom on the wall beeped and the angry voice of Shredder bellowed out into the room. "Rocksteady! Get your lazy, mush-addled brain out of bed now and get up to the viewing room, ON THE DOUBLE!"

Rocksteady rushed across the room and hit the intercom button hard. "Hey boss, is Bebop up dere already?" he asked in a panicked voice. "I just woke up and he isn't here, and his bed is made up and his stuff is gone and I don't know where he went!"

There was a pause and then Shredder's voice returned my furious than ever. "No questions, you neanderthal, just get up here NOW!" he shouted.

"Alright boss, be dere in five minutes." Rocksteady replied and then let go of the button. He looked around the room again, sighed tiredly, and then headed over to his clothes pile to get dressed. Duty called. Another wonderful day serving the evil Master Shredder.

* * *

The door slid open and Rocksteady plodded wearily into the viewing room. Shredder heard the sound of the door opening and turned, glaring angrily towards the mutant. "What took you so long squid brain!?" he growled.

Rocksteady flinched slightly at the insult, feeling a stab in his heart. Had he really put up with those insults all this time? "Sorry boss." He replied contritely. "I got a little bit distracted."

Shredder glared at him a moment more and then suddenly his eyes softened, becoming almost friendly. It was a look Rocksteady had almost never seen in Shredder's eyes, and it frightened the mutant just as much as his regular angry behavior. "I guess it's alright." Shredder replied in a much friendlier tone. "Maybe you deserve a little rest, after the great job you did and all. I just called you up here to give you your reward."

Rocksteady's eyes bugged out of his skull and he took an involuntary step back, suddenly feeling very suspicious. "Uh…what are you talkin about boss?" he asked nervously. "What job?"

Shredder rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot already!" he replied, his usual anger creeping back in. "You finally manage to do something completely right and then you forget about it the next day." He growled and smacked his forehead with one hand. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that."

Rocksteady shook his head in confusion. "Boss, I really don't know what you're talkin about!" he exclaimed.

Krang turned and eyed the mutant with annoyance. "He's talking about you're rather impressive victory over the turtles and their master the other day, you mutant moron." He explained.

Rocksteady felt like he had just been punched in the gut. The turtles defeated?! And by him!? "No way…dat aint possible…" Rocksteady said in shock, looked back to Shredder, waiting for the evil tyrant to admit it was all a joke.

Shredder laughed and walked towards the viewing screen. "Ah but it is true Rocksteady. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't seen the pictures." He explained as he punched a button. Immediately the towering viewing screen lit up with a shot of a sewer.

Rocksteady looked at the picture and immediately felt an almost violent urge to throw up. It was the most horrific image he had ever seen. The bodies of the turtles and their rat master, piled in the middle of their sewer lair. Blood everywhere, limbs severed, insides spilling out. A large blood soaked sledge hammer lay on the ground next to an equally gore encrusted chainsaw. Rocksteady wanted to tear his eyes away from the horrifying image, but he felt paralyze. It couldn't be true! The turtles…dead? For real!? And not just dead, but slaughtered. Torn apart like the victims of a horror movie. "No…no…" Rocksteady stuttered as he stumbled back, his paralysis broken. "I didn't do dis…I wouldn't…" he whimpered, and then clutched a hand over his mouth as another wave of nausea hit him. They couldn't be dead! They were his friends! He wasn't like this!

Shredder stared up at the image like a patron admiring a great work of art, completely oblivious to the mutant's reaction behind him. "You really did an amazing job Rocksteady. After all these years, keeping you around finally paid off. Our accursed enemy has been dealt with!" He chuckled to himself and tilted his head to observe the image at a different angle. "I think I'll have this framed and put up in my room."

Rocksteady felt panic take hold of him as he began to breathe hard. "No, dis isn't happening. Dis has to be a dream!" he cried out, catching Shredder and Krang's attention.

"What are you babbling about rock head?" Krang asked.

Rocksteady raised his eyes to Shredder and Krang and felt a surge of anger rush through him. "Dis aint right! Dis is some kind of trick, I know it!" he shouted. "What's going on, what is dis all about! And where's Bebop?!" He glanced angrily back and forth between Shredder and Krang. "He wasn't in our room and most of his stuff is gone, and his bed was made and he nevah does dat, so where is he!? Did you do sometin to him!?" he shouted.

Shredder glanced at Krang and a knowing look passed between them. Shredder turned back, his eyes suddenly filled with pity. "You know as well as we do, Rocksteady, that Bebop is long gone."

Rocksteady for a minute forgot how to breathe. His world seemed to freeze as the words cut through his head. "Wha…what!? No!" he shouted back in fear.

Krang raised his tentacles, looking like someone shrugging their shoulders. "It was your own fault Rocksteady. You drove him away with your drunken tirade" the alien replied.

Shredder nodded in agreement. "Yes. You told him he couldn't understand you, that you didn't need him anymore. You also beat him within an inch of his life. Of course he would leave after that."

Rocksteady felt his legs go to jelly and he crashed to his knees painfully. It felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Bebop was gone…because of him? "No…it aint true, it aint…" the mutant looked up at Shredder and Krang, feeling rage boil inside him. "It aint true! YOU'RE LYING!" he shouted.

Shredder shrugged his shoulders. "Believe me or not, it's still the truth. No amount of sniveling will change that, you simpleton." He turned dismissively from Rocksteady and approached the console again. "Anyway, like I said I brought you up here to give you your reward. Now that you've finally defeated the Turtles and Splinter for us, I thought the only right thing would be to discharge you from our service, and back to your old life. So I took the liberty of tracking someone down for you." The villain punched another button on the control panel and a hidden door in the far wall slid open. Shredder turned towards the door. "He's all yours, my friend." He called out.

Standing in the door was a large, imposing, well-dressed man with short cropped blonde hair and huge linebacker sized shoulders and torso. He searched the room with his steely blue eyes, cold and brutal, until they fell on Rocksteady. His lips parted in a sinister grin. "Thank you, comrade Shredder" the man replied, his voice carrying a thick Russian accent.

Rocksteady's blood turned to ice in his veins as he heard that voice from the past, and pure panic and fear flooded his whole body as he set eyes on the man. "No…no…It's not possible..." he stuttered out, sounding like a terrified child. "You can't be here. You're gone, I saw it! YOU'RE GONE!" he cried out, tears running down his face.

The man grinned wider. "You can't get rid of me, boy. I'll always be here." He stated, a sinister gleam in his eye. "Time to go home and face music, as they say." The man began to walk slowly towards the mutant.

"NOOOO!" Rocksteady shouted in terror, turning on his heels and bolting for the exit. His heart was racing a mile a minute and sweat broke out all over his body as his pushed himself to the limit. He had to escape! As he closed in on the door a brief tiny glimmer of hope flashed in his heart. He was going to make it. Then he heard Shredder shout "Seize Him" in a loud commanding voice and the door in front of him popped open to reveal dozens, no, HUNDREDS, of foot soldier robots. The swarm of foot poured out of the corridor and surrounded Rocksteady. He tried to plow his way through the them but they stood their ground and held him back with strength they had never possessed before. They piled on him from all sides, pummeling him with their fists and feet until he was driven to his knees. His arms were painfully yanked behind him, almost dislocating the shoulders, and then he felt ropes biting into his skin, winding around his wrists, arms, torso, and legs. "LET ME GO YOU BOLT BRAINS! LET ME Garrrmph!" he tried to cry, but one of the foot bots grabbed his head and a greasy rag was shoved between his jaws. Rocksteady choked on the foul tasting cloth and tried to spit it out, but another soldier wrenched his head back and tied a bandanna tightly between his teeth. After a moment the foot soldiers dropped him painfully on his side and stepped back, leaving the mutant lying on the floor, completely immobilized and silenced.

Rocksteady pistoned his body with all his strength and flexed his muscles, trying to break the ropes that bound him. Normally he could have snapped ropes like this in a second, but for some reason they seemed to be holding him with supernatural strength. His ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps and he looked up. The blond man was only a few feet away! This time his eyes seemed like they had turned red, and the left side of his face was now bruised and discolored, a trickle of blood running down from a gash just below the hairline. He smiled, the effect making him look like some kind of ghoulish jack-o-lantern. "Are you ready to go home, boy?" he asked sinisterly. "I've been waiting for you for so long."

Rocksteady heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. Terror and adrenalin flooded his whole system and he thrashed his body violently, trying to break his bonds and get away from the approaching man. He screamed as loudly as he could into his bandana gag, but it only came out as muffled grunts. The man smiled wider and continued forward. Rocksteady fell to the floor, exhausted and weak. He lay there on his side, panting as tears ran down both sides of his face. He was sure he was moments away from losing his mind. "nmph, nmhp, nmph! NMPH!"

* * *

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shouted Rocksteady, sitting up violently.

"Aaaaauuuuuugh!" cried Michelangelo in surprise, falling over backwards out of his chair.

Rocksteady looked around franticly, breathing hard, his heart racing a mile a minute, still feeling the panic and fear of his dream and extreme disorientation at waking up somewhere unfamiliar.

Michelangelo climbed to his feet, rubbing his head. "Ow, that hurt." He commented to himself. Looking up, he noticed the freaked out look on Rocksteady's face, and quickly grabbed his chair, moving closer to the bed, reaching out to put a sympathetic hand on the other mutant's back. "Dude, its ok. You're safe. Shredder and you're dad aren't here. You're in the lair, everything's fine." He said in a soothing voice, rubbing his hand slowly on Rocksteady's back. "Man that must have been one gnarly dream you were having. I've never seen someone toss and turn so much. You were yelling too. I'm surprised the others didn't hear" He commented.

Rocksteady continued to breathe hard, staring ahead, as Michelangelo continued to rub his back. Slowly his heart rate began to decrease as the last remnants of the nightmare fell away. It had all been a dream, nothing more. He was finally awake. It was the same dream he'd been having for weeks now. The details were always different but the gist was still the same. Waking up to his old life, losing everything he cared about. And that man… Rocksteady shivered involuntarily, still feeling a great amount of lingering fear and anxiety.

"Guess it was really bad, it its messed you up this much." Michelangelo said sympathetically.

Rocksteady glanced around the room as his eyes finally adjusted to the low light, and recognized the dingy stone walls of the Turtles' sewer lair. He was lying in a bed inside a small alcove along a larger rectangular chamber, the place the Turtles slept. "Wha…what happened, how did I get here?" he asked between breaths, turning to look at Michelangelo.

"Bebop brought you here with us, since this place was closer than your apartment building." Michelangelo explained

Everything suddenly came flooding back to Rocksteady all at once; work, the incident at Angie's, getting drunk, fighting with Bebop. Everything about the insane day he'd just had. "I passed out." He said, mostly to himself, as his eyes traveled down his own body, taking inventory of his condition. He immediately noticed that all his cuts and scrapes looked like they'd been cleaned since last night and there was a large white bandage wrapped around his right arm above the elbow.

Michelangelo noticed him looking at the bandage and smiled. "Yeah, Master Splinter sewed up your cut last night and bandaged it." He explained.

Rocksteady ignored the comment and continued looking himself over. His right hand was still swollen tremendously and was already starting to throb with a deep teeth-gritting pain. He realized that his face felt weird and reached up, his fingers touching the swollen flesh around his left eye socket and the side of his face. How had that happened!? He couldn't remember. Squinting his eyes downward, he could also see the large purple welt in the middle of his snout, where Bebop had hit him. A new flare of anger sparked inside Rocksteady at the memory. That move had been dirty! He growled and threw back the covers, preparing to get up, but as he moved quickly a wave of pain hit his head like a sledgehammer, and nausea rolled over his stomach. Moaning uncomfortably, Rocksteady doubled over, his hands going to his head.

"Whoa dude, take it slow." Michelangelo cautioned, grabbing Rocksteady's shoulders to steady him. "You had a pretty rough night. Bet you've got a monster hangover now." Rocksteady nodded weakly and lay still, listening to his own breathing as he waited for the pounding in his head to subside. Suddenly Michelangelo's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah that's right. I brought you something for that." He said as he reached into a pouch on his belt. Rocksteady looked up as the turtle pulled out his hand and opened it, revealing three small white pills lying in the center of his palm. Painkillers. "Donatello whipped you up some nasty looking hangover remedy in his blender, but I thought you might want a few of these too, just in case." The turtle explained, winking slyly at the mutant.

Rocksteady reached out and scooped up the pills in his left hand. He rolled them between his fingers for a moment and then tossed them into his mouth, biting down and grimacing as the bitter taste hit his tongue.

Michelangelo made a disgusted face. "Ugh. Didn't you want to take them with water? I brought you a glass." He said, nodding towards the bedside table.

"Works faster dis way." Rocksteady replied, but after a moment he took the glass and drained it in one gulp, swishing the liquid around in his mouth to erase the terrible taste.

Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders and then began to get up. "Master Splinter said you can sleep as long as you want, but we have lunch in the kitchen if you're hungry." He said, nodding over his shoulder towards the exit.

At the mention of food Rocksteady felt his stomach growl. Despite the nausea and splitting headache, he realized he was starving. He hadn't eaten much at Angie's the night before, and had thrown it up later anyway. "Dat sounds good." He replied.

Michelangelo nodded and smiled. "Alright then I'll see you in there. I'll tell the others you're getting up." He replied, before turning and exiting the room, leaving Rocksteady to collect himself and slowly get up.

* * *

"Hey, here he is!" Michelangelo called, looking up with a huge cheerful grin on his face as Rocksteady trudged into the Turtles' makeshift kitchen. "I told you he was awake." The turtle continued, looking triumphantly over at Raphael, who rolled his eyes silently.

Bebop, who was sitting on the far side of the kitchen table, stood up as his friend entered the room. "Uh, hey buddy." He said hesitantly, looking at Rocksteady with concern on his face. "How you doing? Feeling bettah dis morning?"

Rocksteady slowly surveyed the room, feeling the awkward tension pile on. Five pairs of eyes were staring right at him. Only Michelangelo and Bebop seemed at all welcoming to his presence, the others looked at him with a mix of trepidation and nerves, like they thought he might explode at any second. Rocksteady thought he even detected judgment in their eyes, and irritation began to grow in him again. He looked at Bebop, staring at him with such concern and pity, and then narrowed his eyes and looked away, ignoring his previous inquiry. Bebop's face fell, looking a bit like Rocksteady had just hit him again, and sat down silently. Rocksteady approached the table and pulled out a chair. "So, you got grub?" he asked tersely.

Raphael propped his head up with one hand and stared sideways at Rocksteady. "Someone is sure in a cheery mood this morning." He commented.

Rocksteady snarled threateningly and began to stand up, balling his left hand into a fist. Immediately Michelangelo was on his feet too, holding his hands up towards both mutants. "Let's everyone just chill, its ok. There's no need to fight." He said calmly, trying to sooth Rocksteady's nerves. He looked over at Raphael with an irritated frown. "Rocksteady had a rough night Raphael, I think you can cut him some slack." He said.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "We all had a rough night Michelangelo."

Michelangelo stared back unflinching. "Still, it wouldn't kill you to be a bit more sensitive, alright." The turtle turned and smiled apologetically at Rocksteady. "It's ok, we're all friends here, so let's just sit down and eat." He said softly, putting his hand on Rocksteady's shoulder.

Rocksteady looked at Michelangelo, who just smiled very friendly like. He didn't feel completely placated, but he finally sat down slowly, giving Raphael a quick dirty look before looking back to Leonardo. "So what you got to eat already?" he asked again. Michelangelo smiled uncomfortably and turned to Leonardo, shrugging slightly as he sat down.

Leonardo blinked a few times and then tried to smile politely, as if he'd suddenly snapped out a trance. "Oh, yeah, of course." He replied, getting up from his chair and heading back to the stove. "We've got scrambled eggs, hash-browns, pancakes and waffles, or I could whip up an omelet with just about any filling if you'd like" he explained.

"Dat's all breakfast stuff." Rocksteady commented with disappointment and annoyance.

Michelangelo nodded. "Yeah, we all slept in pretty late today, so we decided brunch would hit the spot just right." He explained.

Rocksteady narrowed his eyes grumpily. "Don't you got any meat?" he grumbled.

Leonardo frowned and shook his head. "We have some imitation tofu bacon or sausage patties, if you're interested, but no actual meat." He replied.

Rocksteady sighed and rubbed his temple with his left hand. His headache was still pretty bad. "Just give me some of everting you got." He said rather rudely, not even looking up at the turtle.

Leonardo sighed and turned to the stove to begin loading up the food on a plate. Looking at Rocksteady, Donatello's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh that's right!" he exclaimed, getting out of his chair and heading to the fridge. He opened the device and pulled out a large glass, filled with a thick neon green liquid. "I made you a special hangover remedy, Rocksteady" he explained as he brought the drink over and set it in front of the mutant. "It should rehydrate you and help fight the buildup of acetaldehyde in your system." He explained.

Rocksteady stared at the turtle blankly. "Aceta-what?" he asked.

Donatello smiled, embarrassed. "Sorry, didn't mean to get technical. It will help, trust me." He turned his head and gave Michelangelo a knowing look. "That, and the medicine I know Michelangelo slipped you will have you feeling a lot better, I promise" he said. Michelangelo blushed and shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

Rocksteady eyed the strange looking brew suspiciously. He pulled the glass towards him and sniffed. Not detecting anything particularly disgusting, he brought the glass to his lips and drank. It tasted a little sour, but surprisingly not nearly as bad as he would have thought, based on the color. He took a longer second sip and set the glass down. Donatello nodded, looking satisfied and returned to his seat.

"Here you go Rocksteady, a plate with everything we've got." Leonardo said enthusiastic, setting a large plate down in front of the mutant. It was piled high with a generous serving of steaming scrambled eggs and hash-browns, along with two pancakes and waffles each. "Syrup is in the bottle, and there's butter in that small bowl next to it." The turtle said, nodding towards the center of the table.

Rocksteady could feel Leonardo's expectant eyes on him. "…Tanks." He finally muttered grudgingly to the Turtle. Leonardo looked slightly disappointed at the lukewarm response, but gave a small nod and returned to his seat. Rocksteady stared at the food and his stomach growled in anticipation. He really was hungry after all. He took another quick gulp of the concoction Donatello had given him and then tried to pick up his fork with his right hand without thinking. Pain shot up his arm and Rocksteady suppressed a yelp, the fork slipped out of his fingers and clattered on the table. Sucking in air, Rocksteady clenched his teeth against the pain and tried to grab the fork again, but it slipped out of his grasp a second time and he cursed under his breath.

Bebop looked at his friend with deep concern and a little bit of guilt on his face. "Your hand still hurtin bad Rocksteady?" he asked.

Rocksteady grimaced. "I'm fine, just leave me alone!" He growled angrily, refusing to even look at his friend.

The turtles all gasped at the outburst and Bebop looked down at his plate dejectedly. "I…I'm sorry pal." He responded in a small voice. "I weren't tryin to hoit you."

Raphael stared at the warthog like he couldn't believe what he'd just said. "Why are you apologizing to him!?" he asked in exasperation. "He's the one who got drunk and started the whole thing! He hurt his own stupid hand."

Rocksteady snarled again, glaring daggers at the turtle, but before he could get up Leonardo moved over and grabbed Raphael's shoulder sternly. "Chill out Raphael." he ordered. "We're trying to have a nice calm lunch for now. We can talk about all this a little later ok?"

Raphael threw down his napkin and stood up from the table, glaring with disapproval at Leonardo. "Then maybe I should go." He replied angrily, slowly shifting his gaze between Michelangelo and Donatello, before returning to Leonardo. "I'm getting a little sick of all this tip-toeing around" he continued, before shifting his gaze to Rocksteady, giving the mutant an angry glare. The turtle turned and pushed past Leonardo, exiting the kitchen without another word.

Donatello watched him go. "Well that wasn't entirely unexpected." He stated.

"No kidding." Michelangelo added. He turned to look at Rocksteady and smiled apologetically. "Don't mind him. He's always like that."

Leonardo nodded. "Let's just finish our lunches. We can talk about all this once you're feeling a bit better Rocksteady." He said, as he sat back down again.

Rocksteady grunted a dismissive acknowledgment and turned his attention back to his food. The throbbing in his right hand was too much so he picked up the fork with his left hand instead and began to finally eat his food. The eggs were still warm, and they tasted extremely fluffy and light; Rocksteady was soon shoveling the eggs into his mouth very quickly, though he was making a bit more of a mess than usual, due to the inconvenience of having to eat left-handed.

Michelangelo smiled with satisfaction. "Glad you're enjoying those. A satisfied customer is the best complement a chef can have" he said with a bit of pride in his voice. He had cooked the meal, of course.

Donatello looked at Rocksteady's swollen hand with a contemplative expression on his face. "Hey, I bet that balm stuff Master Splinter uses sometimes after workouts might help Rocksteady's bruises." He stated, looking at the others.

Leonardo's attitude brightened and he smiled. "Hey, that's a good idea Donatello. I'll go ask him if we can borrow some." He said.

Leonardo stood up quickly left the room to find Splinter. Rocksteady paid their comments no mind and continued to ravenously consume the plate of food in front of him. He finished the eggs and hash-browns in no time flat and started in on the first waffle. Not bothering with the butter or syrup, he began trying to cut it with the side of his fork, but the going was awkward with only one hand. He watched Michelangelo out of the corner of his eye; the orange turtle was looking on intently, and Rocksteady got the distinct feeling he was about to volunteer to cut his food for him, which Rocksteady absolutely would not stand for. Things were embarrassing enough as is without that. Frustrated with his efforts to cut the waffle, Rocksteady dropped the fork and just picked the food up with his left hand, tearing into the waffle like it was a hunk of bread. He eyed Michelangelo and Donatello, daring either of them to make a comment, but the turtles said nothing. Bebop focused his attention on his own food and avoided eye contact. A few moments later, Leonardo returned, but rather than bringing the medicine back with him, he brought Master Splinter himself, followed by Raphael, who stopped and leaned against the kitchen entranceway and observed the room with a surly, irritated look on his face.

The rat mutant stepped into the kitchen and smiled warmly. "I hope everyone is enjoying their lunch." He said as he turned to look at Rocksteady. He smiled kindly at the mutant and crossed the room swiftly to sit down at the chair next to him. "Leonardo tells me that your hand is still bothering you." He began as he set a small wooden jar of something down on the table. The rat unscrewed the lid, revealing the jar was filled with pasty white goo that gave off a pungent somewhat unpleasant smell. "This is a special liniment I procured from Japan many years ago. It does wonders for the aches and pains of the body." He explained as he reached out for Rocksteady's right hand.

Rocksteady slid his hand away from the rat's reaching paws, feeling embarrassed. "I can do it myself." He replied grumpily, reaching out to take the jar of liniment from Splinter.

Splinter smiled and slid the jar out of Rocksteady's grasp. "It is no trouble Rocksteady." He replied. "You are a guest in our house. Please, continue eating, pay me no mind."

The rat smiled at him, the expression very disarming. Rocksteady looked away, feeling embarrassed and irritable. "Ok, fine" he finally submitted, sliding his right hand back. Splinter nodded and dipped his fingers into the jar, bringing out a large dollop of liniment which he began to very slowly and gently rub into Rocksteady's bruised hand, starting at his wrist and working down. The stuff smelled pretty disgusting, but the rat hadn't been lying about its effect; the strange cream felt cold and tingly, and very soothing. Rocksteady turned his attention back to his plate and picked up his second waffle, though he winced and grunted under his breath with pain as Splinter worked further down his hand.

Raphael watched the scene and rolled his eyes in disgust. "Does the little baby's hand hurt?" he asked sarcastically.

The other three turtles all looked at Raphael with annoyance and Leonardo opened his mouth to give another reprimand but all were cut off by the extremely stern glare from Splinter. "Raphael, that is enough!" he declared. Raphael had the sense to immediately look apologetic and embarrassed.

Rocksteady couldn't help but smile inwardly at seeing the red turtle put in his place. He snorted derisively and stared back at Raphael. "I aint a baby." He began. "It really does h...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!" He suddenly bellowed, reflexively ripping his hand out of Splinter's grip.

The outburst startled the entire room immensely, so much that Michelangelo knocked his plate off the table, and Bebop dropped his water glass onto the floor where it shattered with a loud crash. Rocksteady cradled his hand against his chest, breathing hard. Tears of pain leaked from the corners of his eyes, and sweat ran down the back of his neck. "Geeeez!" he exclaimed through clenched teeth and then grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his hand against his chest, as waves of excruciating pain flowed up his arm. He opened his eyes again and looked at Splinter accusingly, feeling betrayed.

The rat looked back at Rocksteady, his eyes wide with confusion and surprise. "I am very sorry Rocksteady" he replied contritely. "I did not mean to cause you such discomfort. I promise I was being as gentle as possible."

"Coulda fooled me." Rocksteady replied, and then sucked in air painfully.

A serious expression came over Splinter's face, and he looked at Rocksteady's battered hand with more scrutiny. "Rocksteady, are you able to move your fingers much, or make a fist?" he asked

The rat's tone of voice was serious enough to prompt Rocksteady to consider the question. He rested his right hand on the table and tried to flex his fingers, stifling another yelp as pain radiated through his hand. Taking a deep breath, he began to curl his hand inward to make a fist, but immediately stopped as a wave of agony shot up his arm, making him feel faint. He shook his head, teeth gritted. "No, hurts too much." He replied.

Splinter nodded, as if his suspicions had been confirmed. "I see. If it really hurts you to such a degree, then I believe it is quite likely that you have some broken bones." He explained. "I would suggest you have it examined and x-rayed by a doctor as soon as you can."

Rocksteady muttered under his breath. Great, another problem to deal with. But the rat guy's kind eyes were uncomfortably disarming and compelling, and Rocksteady couldn't find the strength to back talk. Instead, he looked down at his food and gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "Yeah, yeah, I got it." He replied in a somewhat defeated voice.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he does it." chimed in Bebop, ignoring the dirty look he got from Rocksteady as he nodded towards the Rat.

"Excellent." Splinter replied, standing up from the table. "You know you have a wonderful friend, don't you Rocksteady?" he asked, putting his hand on the mutant's shoulder gently.

Rocksteady snorted to show his irritation and turned his head away from Bebop's direction; the warthog's face fell at the snub and he looked down at his plate dejectedly.

Splinter read Rocksteady's reaction immediately. He slowly glanced across the room, exchanging a knowing look with all four of the turtles, before turning back to smile at the Rhino. "Well I think I shall leave you to finish your meal now, Rocksteady" he began, before turning back to the turtles. "My students, could you please join me in the dojo, there is something that we need to discuss."

Leonardo and Donatello nodded and got up to leave immediately. Leonardo gave Bebop a quick encouraging look before exiting the room, followed by Donatello and Splinter. Just before he exited, the rat turned around and smiled towards Rocksteady and Bebop. "Oh yes, one more thing. If you two still feel hungry please do not hesitate to help yourselves to more food, there is plenty" he explained, before turning and vanishing through the doorway. Michelangelo looked reluctant to leave, but finally got up when Raphael grabbed his shoulder and motioned towards the door. He gave Rocksteady one last sympathetic wave before disappearing through the archway with Raphael, leaving Rocksteady and Bebop alone in the kitchen together.

An awkward and uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Rocksteady crunched the last bite of his second waffle and started in on the pancakes, deliberately keeping his eyes firmly fixed on his own plate, avoiding his friend's concerned gaze. Bebop watched him continue to eat as the piercing silence weighed on him like a smothering blanket. He squirmed in his chair and fidgeted with his utensils, obviously desperate to say something, but completely at a loss as to what. Finally the tension became too much and Bebop opened his mouth to speak. "So…dat stuff da poiple toitle gave you workin any?" he asked.

Actually it was, to Rocksteady's surprise. Or maybe it was just the medicine Michelangelo gave him, who knows. But his headache and nausea was definitely less severe now. "Yeah...it's ok." He replied noncommittally.

"So…I guess you're mad at me for knockin ya on da snout and all da udder stuff huh?" Bebop asked, and then flinched as if he expected an immediate furious outburst from his friend.

"What do you think?" Rocksteady asked, narrowing his eyes at Bebop. The warthog tensed up, as if preparing to defend himself. Rocksteady snorted grumpily again and got up from the table, heading for the stove to load up on seconds. He put three more waffle pieces on his plate and then piled each one with a layer of scrambled eggs.

Bebop watched his friend's back as he gathered his food, looking very stressed. "I'm really sorry, pal." He said. "It was my last resort. I didn't know what else to do. I was really scared."

Rocksteady turned around and looked at Bebop, who stared back with heartbreaking sincerity on his face. Rocksteady felt a pang of guilt and looked away quickly, picking up his plate and carrying it back to his seat. "Scared of what?" he asked as he sat down.

Bebop looked back, and his eyes were moist, almost on the brink of tears. "You seemed so down and depressed. I didn't know what you might do. Hurt yourself, or even maybe…" Bebop stopped short, but Rocksteady could read in his eyes what he ultimately feared.

Rocksteady shook his head, feeling the irritation of the previous night returning. "It's my problem, not yours. I can handle it myself." He replied curtly.

Bebop looked at him what seemed like pity and judgement to the Rhino. "Didn't look like you were handlin much of anyting last night. More like you were tryin to forget." He stated.

Rocksteady felt anger flash in him and he pounded his left fist on the table. "So I made a few mistakes, I get it!" he snarled, startling Bebop. "Dat still don't mean I need your help."

"Rocksteady, why are you so scared to talk about dis?" Bebop asked. Rocksteady clenched his teeth and growled. He ignored the question and picked up one of his egg smothered waffles in his left hand, taking a humongous bite out of it. Bebop sighed tiredly and looked at his friend with incredible affection and kindness. "I tink maybe you don't even know why you're upset." He stated. Rocksteady turned his head suddenly, his eyes filled with surprise, and Bebop responded with a small smile, knowing his guess had hit the mark. "Yeah, I tought so."

"I…I don't know what you're talkin about!" Rocksteady sputtered in reply.

Bebop looked kindly back at his friend. "It's ok to be confused pal. We all go through it sometimes. Even me, believe it or not."

Rocksteady snorted in annoyance and tried to prepare an angry reply but just then his ears perked up as he heard approaching footsteps near the kitchen entrance. A moment later Leonardo stuck his head in the room. "Bebop, Master Splinter asks if you could join us for a moment." He said. Bebop nodded, and Leonardo turned his head towards the other mutant. "Eat as much as you want Rocksteady, but when you're done could you come join us in the sitting room as well?" he asked, and then disappeared back through the passage without waiting for a reply.

Bebop stood and headed for the exit. As he reached the archway, he stopped and turned back to smile gently towards Rocksteady. "We'll all help you figure out what's wrong, together. I promise." He said. And before Rocksteady could raise any objections, he turned and exited the room.


	19. Chapter 18: Facing the Truth

-18-

Facing the Truth

Fifteen minutes later, with his stomach finally full, Rocksteady reluctantly slouched into the sewer lair's sitting room, with no idea what to expect. Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Donatello were sitting together on one end of the long couch on the right wall and Raphael was standing behind them, leaning forward over the back of the furniture, still in a foul mood. He didn't immediately see Bebop, who was leaning against the wall to the left of the entrance, his arms crossed across his chest, legs crossed at the ankles, looking just like a punk lounging in some back alley, waiting for trouble. Master Splinter was sitting in a comfortable looking rocking chair facing the couch, and when he spotted Rocksteady his face lit up expectantly and he smiled. "Rocksteady. I hope you enjoyed your meal. Please join us." He said, motioning towards the empty left end of the couch, directly across from him.

All eyes in the room were on Rocksteady. He could see the worry and concern in their expressions, or the distrust and suspicion in the case of Raphael, and he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and even a little scared, which in turn only served to make him feel irritated and surly. "Why should I?" he growled confrontationally, eyeing each of them in turn. "Dis some kinda innervation or sometin?"

Donatello cracked a smile and suppressed a chuckle. "I think you mean intervention." He corrected helpfully. Rocksteady shot him a death glare and Donatello immediately shut up.

Splinter nodded. "Yes, something like that." He replied. "I heard from my students about what happened last night, and Bebop has filled us in on the difficulties you've had these past few weeks." He smiled and looked at Rocksteady in that supremely kind and disarming manner of his. "All of us are very concerned for you Rocksteady. Especially Bebop."

Rocksteady at first couldn't protest at all. It felt like the Rat had cast some sort of spell over him that left him completely tongue tied. Finally he crossed his arms grumpily and frowned. "I…I'm fine alright!? It's no big deal." He replied back, but he couldn't meet Splinter's eyes as he said it.

Splinter shook his head and looked at the mutant like a parent confronting a stubborn child. "Rocksteady, it is quite obvious to everyone that you are not "fine". People who are fine do not go out and drink themselves into a stupor without letting anyone know where they will be." He bored into Rocksteady with his piercing eyes. "And people who are fine do not typically quit their jobs at the spur of the moment."

Rocksteady jumped like he'd just received an electric shock. He turned his head and stared at Bebop, feeling a mix of anger and hurt overwhelm him. "You told dem about dat!?" he snarled.

Bebop flinched back slightly, fear playing over his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I hadta. I was tryin to help dem understand what was going on." He responded, tensing himself in preparation for Rocksteady to attack him.

"Dat was private! You didn' have da right!" Rocksteady yelled back, taking a step towards the other mutant, his left hand raised in a fist.

The four turtles all tensed up, readying themselves to spring into action and grab Rocksteady before he could attack Bebop. But Splinter quickly put an end to the situation. "That is enough Rocksteady!" he pronounced in a loud stern voice. Rocksteady froze instantly and turned towards the master, feeling a sudden spike of fear at hearing the Rat's tone. Splinter stared back at him with hard steely eyes, the kindness completely gone from his face. "I will not tolerate any violence in this place." He asserted.

"But…" Rocksteady began, but his sentence was cut off with one glance from the rat, and he immediately blushed with embarrassment and lowered his fist. After a moment he relaxed his hand and took a step back from Bebop, though he still eyed the warthog distrustfully.

Seeing Rocksteady relax, Splinter's face softened again and he nodded. "That is better." He began. "Rocksteady, Bebop did not mean you any embarrassment or shame by revealing this information to us. He simply wants to help you any way he can."

Rocksteady looked down at his feet, unable to meet Splinter's eyes again. He felt a rush of embarrassment at his outburst, but he still stubbornly tried to cling to his previous irritation. "It aint yous guys' business. I can deal wit it myself." He replied half-hearted

"Of course it is our business, Rocksteady." Splinter replied. "Everyone here cares about your wellbeing. Anything that might be causing you physical or mental distress is our concern as well. We are your friends."

Michelangelo beamed. "Yeah dude. We want to help. Your troubles are our troubles too." He replied cheerfully, and the other turtles nodded in agreement, even Raphael.

Rocksteady looked back at them like he couldn't really believe their words, and said nothing. Leonardo smiled and decided to probe. "Rocksteady, why did you decide to quit your job?" he asked.

Rocksteady gritted his teeth, feeling stressed and uncomfortable. Sweat began to drip down the back of his neck, even though the room was pretty cool. "I…I just did! I'm ready to move on. It wasn't workin for me anymore."

"That's not what you told us a few weeks ago." Raphael chimed in.

"Yeah. You said it was going really great, and that you were learning a lot." "Said Donatello, picking up Raphael's thread. Rocksteady stared at him and the turtle shrugged. "You said you were enjoying it." He finished.

Rocksteady shifted his eyes down uncomfortably. "Well, tings change." He replied.

"Like what?" asked Michelangelo.

Rocksteady growled and looked away, refusing to answer. He felt his heart beat picking up pace, and the urge to bolt overtook him. "Why are you guys badgerin me bout dis?" he asked angrily.

"Because you have not actually answered the question, Rocksteady." Splinter replied patiently. "You are only speaking in vague terms, and it appears you wish to avoid the issue all together." The wise mutant glanced at Bebop. "Your friend believes that you may not even fully understand why you are upset lately."

Rocksteady snorted in annoyance. "Dat's stupid. Why wouldn't I know what I'm feelin?"

"It is most certainly not stupid." Splinter replied sagely. "Oftentimes we can struggle with problems stemming from our subconscious minds, which we may not fully understand at first. That is why we are having this conversation now, so that we might help you understand." The rat motioned again to the empty end of the couch. "Please sit down Rocksteady."

Rocksteady frowned. "Do I havta?" he asked a bit petulantly.

"Please Rocksteady." Splinter asked. "My students and I have been very hospitable to you and Bebop these past few months. We allowed you to stay with us during your transition to your new lives, and we took you in last night, treated your wounds, and allowed you to sleep here and eat our food." He smiled, as if he expected he had the Rhino over a barrel. "I do not believe it is too much to ask for you to simply sit and listen to what we have to say."

Rocksteady growled under his breath but he knew the rat was right. Splinter and the turtles had done a whole lot for Bebop and him. And breakfast had been pretty good too. Reluctantly, Rocksteady sighed and tromped across the room to plop unceremoniously into the empty space on the end of the couch. Splinter smiled wide. "Thank you Rocksteady." he replied in a pleased voice. "Now, based on what Bebop told me about these past few weeks, and the events of last night, I believe I already have a theory of what might be troubling you." Splinter explained, folding his hands in his lap.

Rocksteady rolled his eyes and looked at the rat skeptically. "What, you some kinda mind reader or sometin?"

Splinter smiled at the suggestion. "No, nothing as obtrusive as that. I am simply skilled at deduction and understanding character." He replied. Rocksteady snorted disdainfully and crossed his arms. Splinter frowned at the gesture and looked at the mutant sternly. "You do not have to agree with me Rocksteady. It is possible I could be completely off the mark with my theory, but please at least listen and consider. I only wish to help."

"Yeah, yeah" Rocksteady replied, but he did at least perk his ears up and look at Splinter, though the skeptical irritated expression remained on his face. Splinter sighed, knowing it was the best he could hope for at this moment, and began.

"Rocksteady, I know from what vague generalities you and Bebop have told us about your previous lives that you had a very challenging childhood and adolescence growing up." Splinter stated.

Rocksteady rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no kidding."

Splinter continued unperturbed. "Your father was a cold and distant man, who was very hard to satisfy. He was often mentally and even physically abusive towards you, and you had little help from your mother, who was too cowed by his control to offer any protection. You also had no friends among your peers and were a very poor student, and you received no help in this area from teachers or family."

Rocksteady snorted in disgusted. "No teacher woulda evah bothered wastin time on me. Dey had bettah tings to do." He replied, his voice dripping with bitterness.

Splinter nodded knowingly. "A difficult situation for any young mind to endure. And of course things did not improve when you left home. You lived on the streets with Bebop, the two of you working for whatever gangs would have you, until your own mistakes forced you to move on. And eventually you and he came to work for the Shredder, who, as you know quite well, has never been very tolerant or forgiving of other people's failures and perceived incompetence."

Rocksteady bared his teeth and glared angrily at Splinter. "I don't need to sit here and listen to you tell me all da ways I've messed up my life. I know already!" he snapped, startling the turtles next to him.

Rocksteady began to stand up but Splinter raised a cautioning hand. "Please Rocksteady, let me finish." He intoned. Something in the Rat's voice made Rocksteady pause, and he reluctantly settled back against the couch cushions. Splinter nodded. "You're reaction now makes me even more confident I am on the right track. The point I was trying to make in bringing up your past situations is that I understand the difficulties you have gone through in your life, and I believe they are at the root of the issue you have been struggling with lately." Splinter folded his hands across his lap and fixed Rocksteady with his penetrating stare. "For the vast majority of your life, you have been told by nearly everyone around you that you are un-intelligent, incompetent, weak, immature, and unworthy of life. The one bright spot in your experiences was your deep friendship with Bebop, the only person who you ever felt a true bond of kinship and understanding with."

Rocksteady looked up and across the room at Bebop, who smiled back at him kindly. The mutant suddenly felt a sharp stab of guilt in his heart as he remembered all the stuff he'd said to his friend the night before. The pain made him feel angry and aggressive again and he grimaced as he turned his attention back to Splinter. "Yeah? So when are you gettin to da point?" he responded.

Splinter sighed and gathered his patience. "As I was saying, Bebop, until recently, was the only positive experience you'd had in a life of darkness. It was the two of you against the rest of the world. It is understandable how that would affect your outlook. But of course, things have changed dramatically in these past months. You are far from the man you once were, Rocksteady. The two of you made the wise and brave decision to leave Shredder's employment of your own free will. You now live as normal individuals, and successfully obtained jobs and are taking care of yourselves." Splinter paused and looked around the room, and towards the four turtles, smiling. "You have new friends and allies who care very much about the two of you, and even someone who cares for you as much more than that." He continued, smiling with uncharacteristic slyness at the last bit. "Your life has undeniably improved in a most dramatic fashion. But…" His eyes bored into Rocksteady's, commanding attention. "The scars of the past are not always so easily healed. You carry a great deal of mental pain, even if you are not consciously aware of it. I believe that after having spent so much of your life being told by nearly everyone how worthless you are, you have subconsciously come to believe that very lie about yourself."

Rocksteady startled a bit, like something had pinched him. "Lie!? But…but I am…" he sputtered almost reflexively.

Splinter raised a hand to cut off Rocksteady's protest. "Yes, a lie." He said. He looked at the mutant with great kindness and compassion and smiled. "Rocksteady, you are not stupid. You are not incompetent. You are just as capable of being a normal productive person as anyone else in society, if you truly care to try, and have the support of the right people."

"Yeah dude, There's nothing wrong with you." Michelangelo added enthusiastically, giving Rocksteady a thumbs up, and the other three turtles nodded in agreement, smiling, even Raphael.

Splinter leaned forward and scrutinized the Rhino. "I believe it is likely that the issue you are struggling with is you're inability to accept this about yourself. Please think carefully Rocksteady. Examine your thoughts and feelings. Is it possible that the source of your anxiety and frustration is because you do not feel worthy of the good things that have happened to you as of late? Is it possible that you feel you do not deserve to be loved by others?" He asked, the question ringing with finality.

Rocksteady opened his mouth to object, to tell Master Splinter he was full of it, that there was no way that could be true. It was ridiculous, totally off the mark by a thousand miles. Rocksteady opened his mouth to voice these objections…and then he stopped, his protests dying in his throat unspoken. He stopped and thought. REALLY thought. For the first time in months, Rocksteady held back his knee jerk reaction and truly examined himself, and everything that had occurred. And the realization hit him like a bucket of frigid water, right in the face.

The four turtles, their rat master, and Bebop all watched Rocksteady with apprehension and suspense, as they saw his face begin to change. Bebop took a step forward, looking extremely worried. "Buddy, you ok?" he asked.

Rocksteady didn't answer. He grimaced like he was in great distress, and flexed the fingers on both his hands, slowly digging his nails into the denim covering his knees. A blast of fiery pain shot up his right arm, his nerves screamed as his swollen hand moved, but Rocksteady barely even registered it this time. It couldn't match the pain he felt in his heart. He looked up into Splinter's face and felt tears at the corners of his eyes. "I…I…I tink…maybe your right…" he responded.

The turtles and Bebop looked at him with shocked expressions; they obviously hadn't expected him to admit anything so easily. Splinter's eyes widened in surprise as well but he kept his composure the most of everyone. "Truly, Rocksteady?" he asked. Rocksteady slowly nodded, and Splinter smiled wide and compassionately. "It is wonderful you can realize this." He exclaimed supportively.

Rocksteady looked down at his hands. "I was tinkin about what happened last night at Angie's." He paused, psyching himself up. "When she told me how she felt, for just a moment I was really really happy." The mutant looked up and gave a wide and dopey smile, his whole face lighting up with emotion. "It was exactly what I wanted. Da best ting dat could possibly happen. But…" The smile disappeared and looked down with shame. "Right after dat, I suddenly felt really scared, nearly worse dan any udder time in my life. It was… like it was too good to be true, ya know? A girl like her, really caring bout someone like me?" He laughed unhappily. "It felt like some kind of joke. I couldn't believe it. So I…" his voice trailed off.

Bebop nodded with a somber expression on his face. "So you panicked?" He asked with sympathy.

Rocksteady nodded sadly. "Yeah. Totally choked. I felt like I could barely breath, like I was trapped someplace small. I had to get outta dere."

"An understandable reaction, given the circumstances." Splinter replied

"It was the same wit my job too." Rocksteady continued. "When da boss called me into his office, I was sure he was going to fire me or sometin. Dat's the only ting dat made sense." He sighed unhappily. "I've been expectin it for a while. I still make mistakes a lot, and I don't know nearly as much as everyone else dere, and I attract a lot of attention just by being me. Being fired just seemed natural. But…" Rocksteady looked up, his face displaying genuine confusion and surprise. "When I got dere, da boss told me instead dat he was really happy with my work, and he wanted to give me more responsibility from now on, and he was gonna raise my pay too."

"Wow!" interjected Donatello. "That's really great news Rocksteady!" he exclaimed.

"Congratulations." replied Splinter, beaming, as he bowed his head slightly towards the Rhino, making him feel very awkward.

"If that's what happened then why did you quit?" Raphael asked grumpily.

Rocksteady shook his head and looked down sadly. "I nevah in a million years tought he'd do anything else except fire me. I wasn't prepared for a promotion. I…I couldn't accept it, like, in my head ya know? Like it weren't real. I kept tinking "It must be some mistake. Meant for some other guy, not me." I didn't know how to respond at first, I felt frozen; shut down."

"So…you panicked again?" Splinter asked knowingly.

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah. Only ting I could think of was to get outta dere. Out of the job completely. So I told him I couldn't take da offer and I actually needed to quit instead, dat it wasn't workin out for me. He…" Rocksteady gritted his teeth, wracked with conflicting emotions. "He said he would be sorry to lose me, and wished me luck in the future. He wasn't mad at me at all! I…I didn't understand dat either." He sniffed and wiped his eyes with his left hand before continuing. "Anyway, I got out of dere right away and headed home. Got hit wit a panic attack on da bus, scared a couple of kids and almost got kicked out." He explained.

Splinter nodded in acknowledgment and laced his hands together in a contemplative gesture. After a few moments he spoke again. "So it would appear my hypothesis regarding your issue was very near the truth." He stated. "Rocksteady, it sounds to me as if you suffer from a very damaged sense of self-worth. You've had to deal with failure and rejection for so long, that you no longer expect anything else, even when the evidence around you would suggest otherwise."

Rocksteady looked back, feeling a bit confused and ashamed. "I…I guess?" He commented, looking around at the others.

Leonardo looked at Rocksteady and smiled. "What master Splinter means is…well, like with you and Angie." The Rhino looked at him, perplexed, and the Turtle smiled. "You've spent a lot of time together. I mean, haven't you two been going out for months now? So didn't you already know she liked you?" He asked.

Rocksteady nodded and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah I guess we have but…I didn't really tink much about it before and…And I guess I didn' really believe it would last." He shrugged unhappily.

"Dude, why not?" asked Raphael with exasperation in his voice. "Things seemed to be going pretty well so far between you two. What did you have to be worried about?"

"Well, look at me!" Rocksteady shouted back, gesturing to himself. "I'm a mutant! A freak!"

"So!? You ashamed of that now? We're all mutants here!" Raphael replied tersely.

Rocksteady glowered back, looking ready for a fight, but Splinter stepped in. "Raphael!" he interjected sternly, catching everyone's attention. "We are not here to criticize Rocksteady's thoughts or emotions, but to help him with his trials. You're comment was unconstructive."

Raphael looked away, ashamed. "I'm sorry sensei." He replied, and then looked at Rocksteady. "To you too."

Rocksteady's anger faded immediately and he nodded. "Yeah, ok. I…I shouldn't have gotten mad neither." He replied. The mutant looked down at his hands, like he was studying them, and a pained expression came over his face. "I didn' used to mind being a mutant. Bebop and me volunteered for it after all; we just wanted to be stronger and tougher. But when I'm wit Angie I tink about it a lot. I know people stare at us when we're in public. Dey say stuff about us, make jokes, or worse. I don't know if we'd even be allowed to be togeder, you know, like "officially". I…" He looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "I know she'd be bettah off wit a normal guy instead of me. She don't deserve all dat junk people give us. And anyone else she got would probably be smarter and more reliable dan me anyway."

Bebop looked greatly disturbed by his friend's comment. "Buddy, you know dat aint true." He replied.

Splinter nodded in agreement. "Bebop is right. You should not sell yourself so short, Rocksteady. As I said before, you are just as capable as anyone else if you really try and care to be, and Angie knows this. And what matters the most is what the two of you think of each other, not the prejudices of strangers who only see your outward appearance. You obviously care very much for her and she has made it clear she cares for you too." The rat smiled warmly. "So do not be disheartened. Whether or not you are "worthy" of Angie is something she must decide for herself, and it sounds to me like she already made her decision."

"And it's the same with your job too." Donatello volunteered smiling. "Maybe you've made some mistakes, but that's normal. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when starting out. You just have to learn from them and keep trying to do better."

"Yeah dude, you have to believe in yourself." Michelangelo added. "You're already doing way better with this job than you ever did with Shredder right? So much that you got a promotion."

Rocksteady thought for a minute and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess. But…" he began to object.

Michelangelo smiled back, cutting off his remark. "No butts dude. Your boss wouldn't have said those things to you if he didn't mean 'em. So don't get so discouraged. You can be capable if you try, and you're already doing it."

"Very wise advice, my students" Splinter commented, giving Donatello and Michelangelo a pleased smile.

For a second Rocksteady actually felt encouraged. He began to smile a little, but then the memories of the previous night struck him again hard. Quitting his job, pushing Angie away, storming out of her apartment with little explanation, drinking himself sick like a total moron, as if that would fix anything. Sorrow filled his heart and dropped him back down into the pits. "Capable? Yeah right." He snorted miserably. "Even if dat's all true, it's too late. I've messed it all up already. I blew Angie off and ran out, and screwed up my job too. And last night when you guys tried to help me, I…" he looked up at Bebop and suddenly felt a pain in his heart so great it nearly choked him, and he looked away quickly, overcome with shame. "I blew it, just like I knew I would." He muttered in self-disgust, slamming his left hand down on his knee.

Splinter's eyes widened with concern at the mutant's outburst. "Rocksteady, please calm yourself." He stated.

"Yeah, dude. It's not as bad as all that." Michelangelo added, putting a hand on Rocksteady's shaking shoulder. "You haven't blown anything."

"Haven't I?" Rocksteady shot back, pulling away from Michelangelo. Tears began to run freely down his face and he let out a disgusted growl and punched his leg again. He felt like his heart was being crushed. It was the worst experience since the night their secret had been exposed in front of Angie. "I'm so stupid. STUPID! Da biggest bone-head in da world. You guys were right, tings were going pretty good but I was an idiot and couldn't see it, and now…" He sniffed wetly and wiped his face. "I'm such a moron! A failure! I…"

"Rocksteady, stop that at once!" Splinter interrupted very forcefully. Rocksteady started and looked up at the rat, eyes wide with surprise. For a moment he was stunned into silence and his tears momentarily stopped. Splinter gazed back it him with a stern no nonsense expression. "You must refrain from saying such things about yourself." He continued. His voice was softer but still carried the hard edge of chastisement. "Self-pity is unproductive and unbecoming. You have made mistakes but what matters most is that you acknowledge them and try to make things right with those you may have hurt."

Donatello nodded. "Yeah. If you talk to Angie and explain what was going on, she's sure to understand."

"She's probably more worried about you than she is mad. Just like all of us were." Leonardo added, and the others all nodded.

"Your boss will probably give you your job back too." Raphael said. "It's only been one day. He couldn't have replaced you that fast."

Bebop nodded. "And he sounded pretty concerned when he called yesterday. He knows sometin was up wit you."

Splinter nodded. "Yes, and even if you cannot regain your job, it will not be the end of the world, Rocksteady." he said. "There will always be other jobs and other opportunities. You still have your life and your health and…" He glanced around the room with a knowing smile. "You have your friends, who care about you and support you."

"I can't believe yous guys even still want to be my friends. After all da stuff I did." Rocksteady replied mournfully.

"Why would you say that? Of course we're still your friends." Leonardo said.

Raphael frowned. "I hope you're not saying that cause of me." He said, and then he looked away with shame. "I'm sorry for how I was acting before. I was just in one of my moods, but I know you were in a bad place too last night and everything."

"Yeah dude, it's no biggie." Michelangelo said, clapping Rocksteady on the shoulder supportively. "We know you weren't yourself last night."

Rocksteady shook his head. "I'm not just talkin about dat. I mean everyting else too. I…I don't deserve any of dis…"

Splinter frowned again and interrupted. "Rocksteady, as I said, you should not be putting yourself down..."

"Dat's not what I mean!" Rocksteady said loudly, cutting Splinter off. The Rat looked surprised and slightly perturbed; he opened his mouth to speak but the look on Rocksteady's face made him pause, and he settled back to allow the mutant to continue. Rocksteady swallowed hard and looked up at the rest of the group, and he prepared to let it out. "I'm talkin about me being a criminal. For all dose years I followed Shredder and did all those terrible tings for him. I should be in jail for da rest of my life, or worse, after all dat. Not living like a normal joe in an apartment wit a job and everting." He sniffed and a tear ran down the side of his face, he wiped it away reflexively with his left hand. "I was a terrible person. Is it even alright for tings to be good now?"

"WE were terrible people, buddy." Bebop said quietly. Rocksteady looked up to meet his friend's eyes, who smiled at him sadly. "Don't take all da blame on youirself. It wasn't just you all dose years. We were in it togeder. And you were da one dat decided we should quit remember? You at least got dat." Bebop looked down at the ground, and scratched the toe of his sneaker on the floor nervously. "You got me outta dere when I woulda just stayed witout a second tought. You saw clearer dan I did, and…I'm glad you did pal." He finished.

Rocksteady looked at his friend and felt a great swell of gratitude in his heart for what he'd said. But almost immediately the negative thoughts crashed in on him, as he remembered what he'd done to him the night before. Even after all of that, Bebop was still unwavering in his friendship. Suddenly Rocksteady felt so much pain and regret in his heart that he could barely breath. "Even so, it don't change what we did. What I did." Rocksteady replied, looking away from Bebop. "I could probably nevah make up for all dat, no matter how long I lived." He looked back to Splinter and was surprised to see the old Master was smiling. "Huh? What!?" he asked, feeling nervous.

Splinter shook his head and looked mildly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, please do not misunderstand." He replied. "I am simply happy to see that you can realize this about yourself and the situation, Rocksteady. It is a sign of increased maturity, and a step in the right direction. Yes, it is true that you and Bebop did many immoral things in the past, and that you have been afforded a rare opportunity for a new beginning with minimal consequences. But ultimately this should not be cause for despair but rather tremendous gratitude and humbleness."

Rocksteady scratched his head. "Huh? I don't get it."

"Do not look at your current situation as something shameful, because you did not earn or deserve it." Splinter continued. "Rather, see it as a unique and merciful gift, and an opportunity to use your life in a new, constructive manner from now on."

Rocksteady thought about what Splinter had just said. It did kind of make sense. Somehow the Rat's words resonated with the deepest part of his mind. To just let go of the guilt of the past would be the most wonderful thing imaginable. Could he actually do that? Without realizing, Rocksteady's left hand moved to his right arm and his fingers began to fidget with the strand of beads wrapped around his wrist; it was the rosary chain he'd received from his mother, which he now wore nearly every day. The action did not go unnoticed by Splinter, who raised his eyebrow in contemplation as he took note and cataloged the reaction. "Maybe I get what you're saying. But…I just can't stop tinking about it." Rocksteady replied, as he turned his head to look at the turtles and then back to Splinter, feeling a mixture of gratitude and deep unworthiness. "I keep tinking about where Bebop and me might have ended up if we weren't such failures at being bad. What if one of Shredder's plans had succeeded? What woulda happened to us den? And…we tried to kill you guys so many times, and we really meant it. We weren't holding back." He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, as fresh tears came. "Even if we never did kill anyone…we still tried! And what if we'd succeeded?" He looked up at the others, face stained with tears. "Would you have still forgiven us if we had killed one of yous?"

The turtles looked at each other uncomfortably and then towards Splinter. The rat mutant looked at Rocksteady solemnly. "I do not believe it is possible to answer that question Rocksteady. We can never know how things might have gone in such a different scenario. But you should not dwell so much on what-ifs. Focus more on the here and now."

Rocksteady nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I know. But I can't help it. I tink about all the stuff I used to do, and I can't even believe that was me anymore. I can't believe I ever wanted any of you dead. The tought dat I coulda done dat, and not even realized it was wrong…it tears me up. And I'm scared dat dat part of me is still dere. Dat no matter what I do…I'll still be a bad guy. I just…don't know what to do."

Splinter nodded and folded his hands for a moment, looking like he was thinking deeply. Finally he spoke. "I said before that you must acknowledge your mistakes and apologize to those you may have harmed. But in this situation it seems to me that the one you have harmed the most…was yourself."

Rocksteady looked at him with wide eyes. "Huh, myself?

"Yes, you have put yourself through a great deal of stress and anxiety these past few weeks." continued Splinter. "You labored under feelings of inadequacy, failure, and guilt, and you hid them away inside, instead of sharing them with your friends."

Rocksteady nodded, though he didn't feel entirely sure. "Uh, yeah dat's true."

Splinter stood up and approached the couch. Michelangelo quickly scooted aside and the Rat sat down on the couch next to Rocksteady. He looked at the mutant with a supremely kind and gentle expression and then reached up to place a hand on his shoulder. His grip was strong and firm, but somehow extremely comforting and calming. "Rocksteady, my students and I have forgiven you for the actions you and Bebop committed in the past, and Angie and her friends have done the same. The two of you received the precious gift of a new beginning for your lives. You even wear a symbol of forgiveness and mercy on your wrist at this very moment. In light of this…are you still unable to also forgive yourself?" he asked.

Rocksteady looked down at the rosary wrapped around his arm, and remembered the feeling he had experienced when he held it that night he'd been shot, and what he'd prayed for. He still wasn't sure if he fully believed in God and all that kind of stuff, he'd really been wearing the rosary these past months just as a good luck charm and to remember his mother by. But he'd felt something that night, something powerful and beyond himself and anything he could fully understand. Maybe there was something to all this stuff the Rat was saying. Redemption and second chances and all that. Just maybe. Rocksteady reached out and touched the crucifix with one large finger, tracing over the surface of the wood slowly, as he thought. "Forgive…myself?" He muttered quietly.

Splinter nodded and squeezed the mutant's shoulder gently. "Yes Rocksteady. That is what you must learn. I cannot tell you exactly how, because it is something personal for only you to experience. I will just say that it's something you must take one day at a time." Splinter slowly stood up and returned to his chair, as he glanced around the room at the rest of the group. "And all of your friends will be there along the way." He finished.

Rocksteady looked up once more, seeing the turtles smiling back at him, his friend Bebop still watching him from across the room, and felt for the first time in weeks like the weight on his soul had lessoned. "Tanks guys." He said, finally smiling.

"No problem dude!" Michelangelo responded with a laugh, and the other three nodded in agreement.

"So…what now?" Rocksteady asked Splinter.

Splinter smiled patiently. "I think you know what you must do." The rat replied, and Rocksteady was surprised to realize that he did.

Rocksteady nodded and slowly stood up from the couch, stretching his legs and arms. He looked from Splinter to the turtles on the couch and gathered his courage. "Guys…I'm sorry for how I acted last night, and for being such a pain." He smiled and let out a small chuckle. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

Raphael snorted in annoyance and then smiled with the corner of his mouth. "You do that." He said as he stepped away from the couch. "Or we might just have to kick your butt like the good ol' days." He finished, giving Rocksteady a light friendly smack on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

The other three turtles rose from the couch and approached Rocksteady. Michelangelo propped his elbow on Rocksteady's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "It's all water in the sewer now, bro. Just don't neglect to tell us if you ever have problems like this again."

"I won't." Rocksteady replied, as he shook Leonardo and Donatello's offered hands. He turned to look at Splinter, who remained sitting in his rocking chair. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone?" he asked.

Splinter shook his head. "Go right ahead. It is in the kitchen."

"Tanks." He replied. The turtles stepped aside and Rocksteady headed towards the exit, and as he did his eyes passed Bebop. His friend was still standing on the far wall, arms crossed, watching. He hadn't come forward to say anything after Rocksteady's apology. Rocksteady felt another sudden stab of lingering guilt and looked away from his friend. The turtles and Splinter noticed and all of them looked at Rocksteady with worry, but he didn't notice. He passed Bebop without saying a word and exited the room.

"Yeah, uh huh. …Uh huh. Yeah I'll see ya tonight, I'll explain everting den. …Yeah, I'm fine, it was just…Angie I'm sorry bout how I acted last night, really. …I'm sorry. …Yeah, I promise I'll tell you, don't worry. …Ok, ok, see ya den. Angie I L…" Rocksteady stopped suddenly, losing his nerve before he could say it. He wanted more than anything to say it, but he had no idea if Angie was going to be ok with him anymore yet. Maybe it wasn't the right time. He swallowed the word and continued. "No it was nothing. …Ok dat sounds good. Bye, see you later."

Rocksteady hung up the phone and took a deep breath, holding it and then letting it out slowly through his nose as he tried to calm his pounding heart. At least the first step was now out of way, but the hard part was still ahead. Behind him he heard heavy footsteps and then a voice spoke out. "Sounds like tings went good." Bebop said. Rocksteady jumped and spun around, spotting his friend standing by the kitchen table behind him. Bebop smiled apologetically. "Sorry, didn't mean to surprise ya."

Rocksteady shook his head. "It's ok." he replied, finding himself still unable to look Bebop in the eyes, due to the pain of the guilt he felt in his heart. "Um…yeah, it went fine. I'm meeting Angie at her place later tonight, so we can talk. And I'm gonna swing by da site tomorrow and talk to my boss, see if maybe it's still possible to keep my job after all."

Bebop nodded and smiled supportively. "Dat's great. I'm sure it will all work out." Rocksteady nodded back and said nothing. His eyes darted along the floor and he shuffled his feet nervously. Bebop noticed right away and he was overcome with worry. "Are you ok Rocksteady? You still look pretty stressed out. Are…are you still mad at me, about before?"

Rocksteady looked up immediately, feeling another guilty stab in his heart. After all this, Bebop still thought he was mad? It was so far from the truth it was almost laughable. "Bebop…I…" Rocksteady stuttered, and then lost his voice. It felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vice. It was one of the most painful things he'd ever felt in his life. Memories flashed through his head, all the things he said to Bebop the night before, and the things he did. Bebop's left eye was black and swollen almost completely shut, and there was a large reddish-purple bruise spread across his right cheek, over his mouth. When he smiled, Rocksteady could see the gap along the right side of his mouth, where the tooth had been knocked out. Knocked out by HIS fist. The injuries on Bebop's face were irrefutable evidence of his own stupid mistakes, the undeniable proof that he'd raised his hand against his own best friend. Sure, they fought occasionally in the past, even once or twice to the point of minor injury, but never like this. Rocksteady felt the overwhelming urge to turn away, but he forced himself to face Bebop, to face the reality of what he'd done. "Bebop…I…I…" He stuttered again, but he couldn't get it out. He felt too overwhelmed. Tears began to flow down his face again and his breath hitched, but he still couldn't find the strength to say what he knew he needed to.

Bebop looked momentarily shocked at Rocksteady's reaction, but then his expression changed as he realized what his friend was struggling with. Smiling gently, he walked towards Rocksteady confidently. Rocksteady took a small involuntary step back as he approached, but Bebop got their quickly before he could back into the wall. He reached out his left arm and gently but firmly cupped the back of Rocksteady's head and pulled him forward. They're foreheads met and Bebop leaned his weight forward into Rocksteady's. "It's ok brother. It's ok." He whispered, so low Rocksteady almost had to strain to hear him. "I forgive you. Don't worry. I'm still here. Don't worry."

At hearing Bebop's words Rocksteady felt an amazing sensation of relief sweep over him, washing everything else away. His heart felt ready to burst with gratitude, and the dam on his emotions finally busted wide open. He threw his arms around Bebop and pulled him into a tight crushing embrace, oblivious to anything else around him. "I'm sorry Bebop, I'm so sorry. So sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He choked out between breaths, tears streaming down his face. He kept repeating it over and over, as he held his best friend and wept, overcome with overwhelming relief and joy. Bebop put his own arms around Rocksteady and squeezed him back, as tears came to his eyes as well.

They stood with their arms around each other for several more minutes, until finally Bebop pulled back from the embrace. He took a few steps back and sat down on the edge of the turtles' large kitchen table, and Rocksteady sat down next to him, his left shoulder touching Bebop's right. Bebop reached into his pocket and brought out a bandana, which he used to wipe his eyes and face with. Something came to mind and his eyes widened. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a second bandana. "Dis one's yours." He said, handing it to Rocksteady. "Turtles washed em for us, but dey couldn't get the blood stains completely out."

Rocksteady nodded and took the bandana. He wiped his face with it and then blew his nose, eliciting a disgusted look from Bebop. "Tanks." He responded quietly, stuffing the cloth into his back pocket.

The two mutants sat side by side on the edge of the table for several minutes and didn't say a word. They really didn't have to, it was enough just to be together. Finally Bebop decided to break the silence. "So, NOW are you feeling bettah?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good" Rocksteady replied, turning to look at Bebop. "You're face hurtin ya bad?" He asked a bit uncomfortably, trying not to stare too much at the bruises.

Bebop shrugged. "Yeah, a bit. But it aint a big deal. It'll heal." He pointed to the right side of his face. "Dis is the woist. Da smart turtle tinks I might have a cracked cheek bone. Hurt like hell, but I took some stuff for it." He grinned towards Rocksteady. "Even when you're sloshed you still hit like a truck, buddy. I'm kind of glad you weren't sober." He quipped lightly.

Rocksteady sighed. His friend's light tone did little to improve his regret. "I'm really sorry about dat, Bebop." He responded.

Bebop shook his head. "You don't need to keep apologizing Rocksteady, its ok. Don't worry; it's in da past now. Like I said, I'll heal." He grinned again and poked Rocksteady in the ribs with his elbow, trying to cheer him up. "And besides we're even. You did a number on your hand too. And on that brick wall." He looked at Rocksteady's hand with curiosity and concern. "It still botherin you too?"

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah. It felt a little bettah for a while, since I took dose pills da surfer turtle gave me. But den I made a fist. Now it's on fire again."

"Sorry." Bebop replied. "You should get it looked at soon."

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah, I'll go to da clinic tomorrow before meetin my boss."

The two of them sat in silence for a time, and then Rocksteady spoke. "Hey Bebop." He began as he looked down at his lap, feeling embarrassed. "Tanks for what you just did. I…I was really scared dat I'd messed up our friendship for good. Dat I'd gone too far, and it was over between us."

Bebop nodded and looked ahead solemnly. "You kinda DID go too far, pal." He responded. Rocksteady looked at him with a pitiful shamed expression and Bebop felt immediate regret at putting it that way. He shook his head and put his arm around Rocksteady's shoulders. "But it will still take more dan dat to break us apart. We'll be friends forever."

"Yeah." responded Rocksteady and then laughed and rubbed his eyes with embarrassment as he felt himself getting choked again.

The smile dropped off Bebop's face and he suddenly looked very solemn. "I gotta apologize to you too." He said.

Rocksteady looked at him with surprise. "Huh, what for?"

"For making you tink you couldn't talk to me about what you were feelin." Bebop replied. "I know I act like I got it all togeder, but I don't always. I worry about stuff too."

Rocksteady smiled back. "Den you should tell me." He responded.

Bebop cracked a smile. "Yeah, guess you're not da only one dat has dat problem." He sighed and suddenly looked very tired and weary. "I was really scared too last night. I tought if I let ya along, you might have killed yoirself or sometin, as depressed actin as you were." He squeezed Rocksteady's shoulder hard with his hand. "If you were gone, I'd probably fall apart. I need you just as much as you need me. I know I probably haven't let you know dat like I should."

Rocksteady felt great warmth in his heart and smiled. "Tanks. Means a lot." He replied, and then his face fell slightly. "I'm sorry I made you worry. I can't believe what an idiot I've been." Suddenly Bebop raised his arm off Rocksteady's shoulder and smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! Hey, what was dat for!?" he growled indignantly, rubbing the back of his stinging head.

Bebop looked instantly guilty. "Sorry. Reflex. It's just dat…" He fixed Rocksteady with a concerned look. "Like da rat guy said, you gotta stop talkin about yoirself like dat. We BOTH do."

Rocksteady nodded and cracked a small guilty smile. "Yeah I know. Sorry. Bad habit I guess."

Bebop put his arm back on Rocksteady's shoulder and squeezed him in a friendly comforting manner. "It's ok. But you gotta remember dat we aint dumb, Rocksteady. Sure we aint rocket scientists like da poiple toitle, and we talk weird, and we didn' finish school, but dat don't mean we're woithless or sometin. Dere are still tings we can do, you know?"

Rocksteady nodded again and. "Yeah, I know. It's just hard to remember sometimes."

"Hey, if we really wanted to we could go back and finish school and get our diplomas or sometin." Bebop added. "Maybe even take some college classes. It would be tough, but we could do it if we tried, and we got all our new friends to help us, and dere are probably special programs and stuff to help people like us catch up."

Rocksteady turned his head and stared at Bebop with a baffled look. "You want to go back to school!?" he asked with disgust in his voice.

Bebop shook his head and smiled. "Nah, not really. I'm just saying we could, dat's my point."

"Well, I'd rather not do dat one unless we really havta." Rocksteady replied. He let out a small sigh and stood up from the table. "I tink I'm gonna get going now." He told Bebop.

"You gonna head back to our place before you meet Angie?" Bebop asked.

"Nah, I tink I'll just walk around da city for a while by myself." He replied. Bebop instantly gave him a suspicious look and Rocksteady laughed. "Don't worry buddy, I promise I'm not going near any bars dis time. I just want a little time to myself, to tink through all da stuff Splin'er said." He shrugged and then looked down. "And…maybe I might go someplace I've been tinking about goin for a while." He finished, his voice taking on a more somber and contemplative note. His left hand touched the rosary chain wrapped around his right wrist, the fingers playing across the beads and stopping on the small crucifix

Bebop noticed the change in his friend's voice and the way he touched the rosary and instantly caught on. "You tinkin about dat one a few blocks from our apartment?" he asked.

Rocksteady nodded. "Yeah. I…I don't know if I'll really be able to go in our not, but we'll see."

Bebop shrugged. "I don't really know much about dat kinda stuff, but whatevah you tink could help you sort tings, go for it." He smiled towards his friend. "Be safe pal, ok?"

Rocksteady nodded. "Tanks. I will. I'll see ya back home tonight, after I leave Angie's." And with that he turned and left the kitchen.


	20. Chapter 19: Another Beginning

19-

Another Beginning

"And so…now I'm here." Rocksteady said, smiling a bit self-consciously as he finished his story, finally bringing events up to the present. He and Anthony had been talking for over two hours now, though it had really been Rocksteady carrying the conversation; Anthony had only interrupted a handful of times to ask minor clarifying questions, most of the time he sat listening with a somewhat inscrutable look on his face as he took in the mutant's story. Rocksteady felt pretty awkward at first, the story coming slow and hesitantly, but after only a short while everything had started pouring out of him like a faucet. Though he couldn't read the priest's reaction, Rocksteady could tell Anthony was really genuinely listening to him, absorbing every word he said, and the mutant was shocked to learn just how freeing it felt to tell his experiences like this. But now was the moment of truth. How would this seemingly kind and gentle stranger take the rather unbelievable account he had just been given. Rocksteady felt sweat drip down the back of his neck and he gingerly rubbed his aching right wrist as he waited for the man to speak.

Anthony sat back in the pew, stretching out to his full height. He instantly sensed Rocksteady's apprehension and smiled warmly at him, reaching up to put a hand on his broad shoulder. "Thank you very much, my son, for blessing me with the chance to hear your story. It is most joyous to know how God has impacted a life such as yours. His mercies are truly great."

Rocksteady gave the priest a confused look. "But I didn' really say much about God in dat story. I…I really never tought much about him until just recently."

"But he was there none the less." Anthony replied. "Speaking to you through the memories of your mother's faith and what she left for you; protecting you, showing you mercy for the things you did."

Rocksteady smiled sheepishly and scratched one ear. "I don't know if I really get it." He admitted.

"That's alright." Anthony replied. "The experience you described, with your girl and your job, is something many people struggle with at times, Rocksteady. One scholar I read once called it "disbelieving for joy."

Rocksteady cocked his head slightly in confusion. "What does dat mean?" he asked.

Anthony suppressed a small chuckle at the mutant's reaction and continued. "It means sometimes there are things in our lives that seem so wonderful and amazing that we can't believe them at all. Part of us desperately wants to believe, more than anything, but if we did, and it turned out not to be true…"

Rocksteady nodded, suddenly getting it. "Den…dat would be the worst ting of all." He commented soberly

"Yes, exactly. So our immediate reaction is to not believe, because we feel it's "safer" than taking the risk of believing and maybe being wrong." The priest looked ahead and reached out to touch one of the brown leather Bibles sitting in the small shelf attached to the pew in front of them. "Even the disciples of the Lord experienced it, when they encountered him raised to new life."

"Really?" Rocksteady asked, his eyes wide. It was completely new to him that there could be anything like that in some old book.

"Yes, really." Anthony replied, turning back to face Rocksteady. He smiled as he grasped what the mutant might be struggling with. "You are not alone, my son. You are not the first or the last person to have felt this way, to have struggled with feeling inadequate or unlovable. To feel guilty about your past. You do not have to keep those struggles all to yourself, as your friends tried to explain to you. Being a part of a community offers many opportunities for support and for sharing each other's burdens. That is the very purpose of friendship and fellowship. And also…" he paused for a moment and put his hand back on Rocksteady's shoulder. The mutant could see the deep sincerity and compassion in the man's eyes as he spoke again. "You need to know Rocksteady, that God loves you too. All of us were made in his image. He wants to know us, he wants the best for us, and that we should know him too."

Rocksteady fidgeted with his hands nervously. "It's just really hard to believe ya know? I've done so much bad stuff and everyting. I always disappoint everyone." He replied.

Anthony nodded. "Yes, it is understandable that this would be a difficult reality to grasp, especially for someone who has experienced what you described in your childhood. I have heard it many times." He looked at the mutant with a bit more probing scrutiny. "You mentioned briefly before that you did not have a good relationship with your father?"

Rocksteady felt a small jolt of nervousness hit him at the question. He really didn't want to talk about that part of his life. But Anthony had been so welcoming and accepting towards him already that maybe it would be ok, at least if he didn't say anything too specific. Rocksteady swallowed once and then nodded. "Yeah no kiddin'. Dad…he was never satisfied with anytin. Nothin I did was evah good enough. Couldn't get good grades, couldn't understand da business, da way I dressed, da way I acted, da way I talked…"

"How you talked?" Anthony interrupted, somewhat bemused.

Rocksteady shrugged. "Yeah. All da time." Rocksteady paused and then his facial expression totally changed, becoming angry and mean. "Zis is unacceptable! I didn't teach you to talk like ignorant American stooge, _pizda!_!" he growled in a nearly perfect Russian accent. He noticed Anthony looking at him in astonishment and then immediately blushed hard as he realizing what he'd just said. "Uh, sorry. Dat last word weren't very nice for me to repeat." He admitted with embarrassment, slipping back into his normal speech pattern.

"Oh, uh, it's alright. You're forgiven." Anthony replied, composing himself. "I was more caught off guard by your uncanny accent. You're pretty good at that." He said, prompting a grin from the mutant. "So I take it that word was something very rude?" he asked,

Rocksteady nodded gravely. "No kiddin. But dat was how he always talked, using nasty words like dat for everyone, especially me." He continued. "So yeah, to him it was embarrassin da way I sounded. But I can't help it, dat's just how I talk. Most of da people I was around at school and stuff talked like dis, I just picked it up." Rocksteady cracked a smile to himself. "If he could see me now, where I am, and dat I became friends with Bebop and evertin, he'd probably turn over in shock."

Anthony raised his eyebrow slightly at hearing Rocksteady's choice of phrase, but decided not to push it at that moment. "Because of the mutation thing?" he asked instead.

Rocksteady grinned wider and shook his head. "Nah, cause Bebop's black." He said with a tiny hint of pride, as if it had been obvious. "Dad hated everyone dat wasn't exactly like him. Different races, different politics stuff, all religions, everytin. He woulda blown a gasket if I'd been friends with Bebop back den." Rocksteady stopped smiling, as shame suddenly hit him. "Actually…I was really like dat too for most of school. I said nasty stuff about udder groups, acted like I was better dan all of dem. Just cause dats how dad was. I…" Tears welled up in his eyes and he choked up for a second. "I tink I always knew inside dat it was wrong. But…he was my dad! Even dough he was terrible, I…"

"You still loved him." Anthony stated soberly.

"Yeah, exactly." Rocksteady replied, nodding. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "He was my dad, and I wanted him to approve of me. To tink I was worthy. So I tried to act and tink like he did. But it nevah helped. When I finally ended up on da streets, all dat stuff stopped matterin." He shrugged and smiled again. "Bebop was da first person who really got me, and cared about me. We depended on each other. Who would care about junk like skin color after dat?" he said, feeling warmth spread through him at the memory,

Anthony nodded. "Yes, completely true. Often it takes shared adversity such as that for us to finally see how similar we all are." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and continued with a different thread. "So there was really no one at school who ever reached out to you?"

Rocksteady shook his head. "Nah. I was really a big jerk back den, to everyone. Most people were scared of me, and dose dat weren't hated me. I bullied and beat up smaller kids, and da jocks beat me up, at least till I got bigger. Everyone told me I was stupid, dat I should be in special ed or sometin." He grimaced, recalling a specific painful memory. "One group of kids for a while always called me "Mookie". I hated it so much; it drove me crazy."

Anthony suppressed a smile. "That is certainly a unique nickname. I'm not sure I've ever heard that one. Children can certainly be cruel at times"

"It was because I was big and tough lookin, like one of dose goons you'd see in a mob movie." Rocksteady replied, but then he shrugged. "Or maybe just cause my dad's mooks were always around."

Anthony widened his eyes with curiosity. "Your father had "mooks"?" he asked.

"Yeah. He called em security, but mooks is what dey was." Rocksteady replied. "Dey did all his stuff for him. Dey also "escorted" me to and from school most days. I hated it so much, it was embarrassin! Dad said it was for my protection, but I know he just wanted to make sure I didn't ditch school all togedder." The mutant shrugged and smiled guiltily. "And I probably woulda too."

"Sounds like he did care about you in a fashion." Anthony stated.

Rocksteady's features darkened and he gave a disgusted growl. "Ha! It weren't about me, it was all about his reputation. He didn' want me getting myself in da papers, causing a scandal." He said angrily. "Same reason dat I nevah got held back. He wouldn' of stood for it. I was failing evertin but da school kept movin me up anyway, they was too scared not to."

"Sounds like your father was a very influential man." Anthony replied and Rocksteady nodded. "It must have been hard on your self-esteem to be pushed forward in school when you weren't ready." He continued sympathetically.

"Yeah, you got dat right." Rocksteady affirmed. "I did ok when I was really little, like in da first few grades, but after dat everytin just started goin over my head. I couldn't keep up and nuttin made sense anymore. Da udder kids made fun of me for bein dumb, and the teachers tought I was lazy." He smiled guiltily "Which I was too, but I really did try at first. But I kept failing and getting bad grades, and was told I was stupid, and it made me madder and madder and I started not even wantin to bother anymore."

Anthony nodded and rubbed his chin. "Yes, like a never ending cycle." He stated. Rocksteady gave him a puzzled look and Anthony smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind, not important. But I would like to ask; as a child were you ever tested for any learning disabilities or the like?"

Rocksteady frowned and narrowed his eyes at Anthony. His whole body suddenly became stiff and defensive. "Disability? Are you callin me stupid too?" He asked, his voice taking on a hard distrustful edge.

Anthony immediately realized his mistake. "No, Rocksteady that is not what I meant." He responded sincerely, placing his hand back on the mutant's shoulder. "I did not intend to offend you, please forgive me for not being clear." He continued. The mutant looked at him suspiciously, but noticeably relaxed his posture and Anthony let out a small sigh of relief. "A learning disability has nothing to do with intelligence. It is simply that some people have more difficulty than others in particular areas of schooling, such a reading or understanding numbers, or that they have a style of learning that doesn't match well with traditional classrooms. Such people often struggle in school but it has nothing to do with their intelligence or potential, they simply may need a bit of extra help, or to have the material presented to them in a different way than most students." He looked Rocksteady in the eye, trying to convey his sincerity. "I simply wonder if perhaps your struggles in school were due to something like that." He explained.

"Oh." Rocksteady replied, feeling stupid and embarrassed again. "Uh, sorry for getting upset like dat for a second." He replied.

"You're forgiven." Anthony replied, taking his hand back.

Rocksteady looked at his hands as he thought for a moment. "I weren't evah tested for anytin dat I remember, but I've always been really slow at readin." He admitted. "A lot of da time da words get jumbled up in my head, and I get confused. Bebop used ta have to help me sometimes. I still can't really handle much more dan a comic book."

Anthony nodded. "Yes, that does sound like it could be a form of learning disability. Perhaps you should have yourself tested now; there are places that can do it."

Rocksteady shrugged. "What's da point of dat? I aint in school no more."

"True" Anthony replied. "But perhaps one day you may decide to try completing your schooling, and it would be helpful information to know just in general."

Rocksteady didn't feel entirely convinced but he nodded in reply. Anthony looked up over Rocksteady's shoulder and spotted something which made him smile. He turned his attention back to the mutant and put a hand gently on his shoulder. "I think I should let you go now Rocksteady" he said. "Thank you for visiting our church this evening, and for allowing me this opportunity to get to know you. It has been a memorable experience."

Rocksteady felt his spirits drop at the suggestion. "But…" he stuttered briefly, and Anthony stopped midway to gaining his feet, looking at the mutant curiously. Rocksteady fidgeted with the rosary beads nervously. "Uh…so, what do I do now?" he asked.

Anthony smiled kindly. "I think your friends have already given you marvelous advice this morning. And you are still planning to talk to your boss soon, correct?" he asked, and Rocksteady nodded. "Then I think you will be alright." He said, climbing to his feet. Rocksteady nodded again, but still looked unsure. Anthony thought for a moment and then caught on to what Rocksteady might be thinking. He raised his arm and made the sign of the cross in front of the mutant. "Your sins are forgiven, my son. Go in peace."

Rocksteady was a bit surprised by the action and then felt a smile spreading on his face. "Tanks." He said gratefully. "Do you really have to go?" he asked with obvious disappointment.

"It's not so much that -I- have to go, but that I think there is someone here for you." Anthony replied, nodding over Rocksteady's shoulder with a knowing smile.

Rocksteady turned his head. At first he couldn't believe his eyes, and then he climbed to his feet quickly, nearly falling over the side of the pew. "Angie!?" he exclaimed.

She was standing in the center aisle between the rows of pews, a couple yards away. "Hey." She responded lightly as she walked towards them, crossing into the row of pews next to theirs. Rocksteady continued to stare at her, dumbstruck with surprise.

Anthony bowed slightly to her as she approached. "So you are the girl Rocksteady has told me so much about." He said, holding out his hand. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am father Anthony."

"Angela." Angie replied, holding out her hand. Anthony smiled and held her hand lightly, like an old fashioned gentleman greeting a lady, and inclined his head again.

Rocksteady finally managed to find his voice. "Angie, what are you doin here?" he asked.

"It's been over an hour since you said you'd meet me." Angie replied.

Rocksteady's eyes widened in shock as he realized his mistake. "What, really!?" he exclaimed. He looked around the sanctuary and spotted a clock, feeling dismay fall over him as he read the time and saw that it was true. He turned back to Angie, feeling extremely guilty. "Angie, I'm sorry! It totally slipped my mind!"

"It's alright. Don't worry." She replied. "When you didn't show I called Bebop and he told me you might be here. He asked the turtles to pinpoint your location just in case, and I decided I'd come meet you instead."

Anthony inclined his head towards Angie in deference. "I beg your pardon young lady." He said in a solemn voice. "Rocksteady and I were so engrossed in our conversation that we hardly paid attention to the passing time."

"Like I said, it's ok." She replied again, giggling slightly at the priest's very serious apology.

"Well then I think I better be taking my leave." The priest said. He inclined his head again slightly towards Angie and then stuck his hand out towards Rocksteady. "Thank you again for coming." He said.

Rocksteady smiled a bit self-consciously and shook the priest's hand. "No problem."

Anthony stepped out into the far aisle and Rocksteady and Angie followed. The priest smiled and gave them both one last glance. "It has been a pleasure. You two be safe getting to wherever you'll be going next." He said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again as he turned to leave. He got 5 steps away and then quickly turned back looking as if he'd forgotten something. "Oh yes, one more thing Rocksteady." He began.

"Huh? What?" Rocksteady asked curiously, and his ears perked up straight like a dog's.

"I'd very much like to see you at Mass this coming Sunday morning." Anthony said. "Both of you, if possible." He finished, nodding towards Angie.

Rocksteady felt his heart begin to beat a little bit faster at the suggestion. He wrung his hands nervously and shuffled his feet. "Uh…I dunno. Not sure I'd really be up to it…" he replied back.

Anthony smiled warmly. "Nonsense, my son." He began, his voice kind and soothing. "I promise that you will be most welcome. If anyone gives you even the slightest trouble they will hear from me or one of the other priests, I assure you." He stepped back closer to the mutant, his sincerity shining through his smile and voice. "Please come and experience the fellowship of our community. I am sure it would do you good. And we could talk some more after the service if you wish."

Rocksteady smiled, feeling a bit of his nervousness fade. "I tink I'd like dat." He replied sincerely. Then something occurred to him and his mood dropped slightly. "I don't really got nuttin nice or fancy to wear dough." He replied a bit dejectedly.

Anthony smiled wider and shook his head. "That does not matter, my son, as I have been telling you. Do not worry about outward appearances, just come as you are. You will be welcome." He said, patting Rocksteady lightly once on the arm.

Rocksteady smiled back and nodded. "Ok. I'll see how tings go." He replied.

Anthony nodded, realizing this would be the best answer he could expect for now, and turned to go. "Ok. I'll be praying that you'll make it." He responded. "Oh, and don't forget to get your hand checked out, like your friends suggested." He added as he walked away.

Rocksteady was surprised by the comment and he smiled at the unexpected warmth. "Hey, tanks!" he replied gratefully. "See ya. I tink I'll come by again, even if I can't make it Sunday." He finished. Anthony turned and gave a small friendly wave of acknowledgment as he continued down the aisle. A moment later he disappeared through a door to the right of the lectern and was gone.

"Sounds like you two really hit it off." Angie commented.

Rocksteady turned to face Angie. "Uh, yeah. He was real nice." He replied. "It felt kinda good to talk to someone like dat. You know like, someone with an, uh… "outside" kinda view."

"Yeah, I can get that." Angie replied evenly. She looked up at him and tried to meet his eyes, looking at him searchingly. "So…you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, now I am…I guess." Rocksteady replied awkwardly. The two of them stood looking at each other for several moments, not saying anything. Rocksteady felt his heart starting to beat quicker, as his nerves began to flare up again. Guilt and shame ached at the back of his mind. Even after the talks he'd had with his friends and with the priest, even after going over everything in his mind, this was still so hard to do. Swallowing, Rocksteady clenched his left fist nervously and psyched himself up. "Angie I…I got to say…" he stumbled. Angie looked at him expectantly and his heart rate increased tenfold. He could feel himself starting to sweat. He swallowed again and gathered all the courage he could muster. "Angie, I'm really sorry about last night. I was an idiot for runnin out like I did. It weren't nuttin you did or said, it was all me." He choked up a little and then took a deep breath to steady himself. "I was just scared. When you said you still cared about me…I panicked all of a sudden. Cause it seemed too good to be true. I couldn't deal wit it at first. I…" he nervously wiped his forehead and looked down at his feet. "I've been fightin wit a lot of junk in my head for a few weeks. It's been given me nightmares, and screwin up my work and stuff too. I know I shoulda said sometin, but I couldn't make myself talk to anyone, until now. I…" He looked up into Angie's eyes, feeling tears at the corners of his own. "I'm really sorry. Really. And I promise I'll explain everytin to you. All da stuff dat was botherin me. I won't leave out a ting."

The silence fell again. Rocksteady watched Angie with apprehension and anxiety. He half expected her to slap him and start yelling, to chew him out for how horribly insensitive he'd been. It's what he'd deserve. Angie let out a sigh and shook her head. "You big idiot…" she commented her voice half exasperated and half affectionate. Rocksteady winced slightly at the words but Angie immediately smiled and out a comforting hand on his arm. "It's ok Rocksteady. I get it. Why didn't you just tell me what was going on in the first place? It had to have been harder keepin it all inside."

"HUH!?" Rocksteady exclaimed in shock. "You…you know?!"

"Bebop kinda gave me the cliff-notes version of your guys' talk over the phone earlier." Angie responded. "And I caught the back end of your conversation with that priest too." She moved her hand down his arm and grasped his right hand gently. Rocksteady winced and grunted under his breath but didn't say anything. Angie took his remaining hand in her other and held them in front of her. When she looked up at his face again he was surprised to see sincere regret and sadness in her eyes. "Rocksteady, I'm sorry too." She said.

Rocksteady felt completely floored. "But…but…you didn' do nuttin wrong!" He replied back, his heart aching with renewed guilt. "It was all my fault! I messed up, not you."

Angie nodded. "Yeah I know all that, but I'm still sorry anyway. Part of me feels like I should have known all along. That I should have been more sensitive." She laughed ruefully. "When you left so suddenly at first I was sure that you just didn't feel for me like I thought. I didn't consider that it could be anything else, or that you might be in pain too. I assumed the worst just right off the bat. So…I'm sorry."

Rocksteady sniffed, feeling tears coming to his eyes. "It's ok. I told ya it's not your fault. Anyone coulda tought da same."

Angie laughed again, with more humor. "Yeah, yeah. Knowing that still doesn't magically make you feel any better though." She replied.

Rocksteady chuckled a little in response and nodded. "So..dis means you aint gonna break up wit me right?" he asked expectantly.

Angie smiled wider and he saw something sly and flirty in her eyes. She let go of his hands and reached up, placing both hands on the sides of his head, just under his ears. Her thumbs moved, the pads of fingers slowly tracing up the inner edge of his ears and across the pointed tops and back down. Her index fingers moved and played across the back of the ears, her slightly long finger nails skating along the skin lightly. Rocksteady suddenly felt waves of phantom tingles flow from the back of his neck all the way down his whole body, loosening his tired muscles like an internal massage. He let out a long relaxed sigh, his lids falling half closed as he leaned the weight of his head into Angie's hands, like dog being petted in just the right spot.

Angie let out a laugh at the reaction. "Ha! Bebop was telling the truth after all." She stated with great amusement. Slowly she rose up on her toes and kissed Rocksteady gently on the mouth, while she continued to rub and tease his ears.

The mutant's eyes popped open for a second as a surprise jolt went through his whole body, like a burst of static. For a split second everything seemed frozen, and he could barely believe what was happening, then all the sensations came back to him at once. An immense warmth and passion rose up inside him and he kissed her back, closing his eyes, lost in the moment. Slowly his hands rose up to rest lightly on her shoulders and he leaned down towards Angie, so she was no longer stretching up to meet him. Her lips were sweat and warm and so soft. Her hands continued to gently massage and rub his ears as they kissed, and the tingling sensations flowed over his body, mixing with the warmth in his heart for a sensation that was nearly overwhelming.

After a moment they broke apart, but her face remained close to his. He could feel her warm gentle breath on his lips, in and out, and then she kissed him again, and he returned in kind. Rocksteady wished the experience would never end. He would remember it for the rest of his life.

Finally they broke apart again, and Angie starred up at his face, smiling and blushing deep red. "So, does that answer your question?" she asked coyly.

"Yeah, I guess." Rocksteady replied. A huge dopey grin was stretched across his face, and his was breathing slightly harder than usual, his cheeks completely red. His head swam with overwhelming feelings. At that moment he didn't think he would ever stop smiling again.

Angie laughed and shook her head. "You're hopeless" she intoned. She released his ears and let her hands slowly trail down the side of his face to the end of his snout. Her fingers made a rasping sound as they slid over his stubble. "You need a shave." She commented playfully as she broke the connection, letting her hands fall to her side.

Rocksteady smiled with embarrassment, and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. Haven't done dat for a few days, and haven't been home today yet."

"So, you ready to get out of here?" Angie asked, turning around to face the aisle leading back to the sanctuary entrance.

"Yeah, I guess." Rocksteady replied. "You…wanna go back to your place?' he asked, blushing slightly.

"Yours is closer." Angie countered. "You've got food, right? I'm starving."

Rocksteady scratched his head, feeling a bit disappointed. "Not much really. Just some leftovers in da fridge, and Bebop's stash of ramen noodles."

Angie giggled. "Hey, that doesn't sound half bad actually." She gently took his right arm and began leading him towards the center aisle. "Bebop's probably back there by now. We could all have our own little junk food dinner. Pig out on noodles and talk for a while."

Rocksteady nodded and smiled. "Yeah, ok." He replied, and then his stomach audibly growled. Angie laughed and Rocksteady blushed, rubbing the back of his head again. "I guess I could do wit some grub." They scooted down the row of pews and into the center aisle and began walking towards the exit. Rocksteady looked to the side at Angie and felt his heart beat fast again, as a powerful wave of warmth and gratitude hit him all at once. He just couldn't believe this was real, but this time more in a good way. "Hey Angie?" he started tentatively.

"Hmm?" she looked up at him expectantly, and Rocksteady's breath nearly caught in his throat.

"Um it's just…" he started nervously and then suddenly grinned wide with unrestrained joy. "Tanks, for carin' about me."

"You big ox, of course I do." She replied affectionately.

Rocksteady looked at her funny. "I aint an ox, I'm a rhino."

Angie laughed out loud and shook her head in exasperation. "It's just an expression. But you're welcome." She replied. "And thanks for caring about me too."

Rocksteady grinned back and gave a playful thumbs up. Angie giggled and then pulled closer to him, resting her head against his bicep as they walked. Rocksteady sighed in contentment and felt a tear of relief come to his eye, which he wiped discreetly with his left hand. For the first time in weeks, his heart truly felt calm.

Together the young woman and the mutant Rhino walked out the doors of Saint John the Baptist church and into the evening air.

* * *

Father Anthony stood in the shadows near the lectern and watched the couple walk out of his church arm in arm. His heart swelled with praise and gratitude for the experience he has just been blessed to have this night. He'd been a servant of the Church for nearly 30 years and yet he was still amazed at how often he was surprised by the works of God all around him. After all, it's not every day that he received the opportunity to hear the honest and sincere confession of someone like Ivan Steranko, the long missing son of infamous business tycoon and suspected weapons dealer and organized crime boss Fedor Steranko. God certainly works in mysterious ways.

Anthony looked down at the two page article clutched in his left hand. The church had just recently got its computers hooked up with a faster internet connection, and it had taken Anthony only a few minutes to find and print out the article he'd wanted. The headline was straightforward and to the point. "Steranko Heir Still Missing; Police Continue Search" and the body contained the same story that everyone who followed the news had heard. After the funeral of his wife, Fedor Steranko had announced, through the vice president of his company, that he would be returning to his homeland to grieve and would be leaving the running of his American holdings in other more capable hands, and that a large reward was offered for any information on the whereabouts of his son Ivan, who'd disappeared only days after the funeral.

It hadn't been very hard for Anthony to put the pieces together. Rocksteady mentioned enough for the priest to deduce that his father must have been someone well known and feared by the public, someone with criminal ties, but it was the imitation Russian accent that brought everything into focus. It was completely understandable now why the mutant would be so concerned with not letting anyone know his human identity, and Anthony would need to let him know to be even more careful in the future. The priest looked over the article and contemplated his memory of the events. Fedor had not been seen in public for years, not since before his wife's funeral, and the less scrupulous newspapers and gossip rags in town let their speculations run wild. Some merely suggested Fedor had gone underground to avoid being brought to justice for his well-known but not completely proven ties to organized crime, but some speculated possible foul play, likely involving the missing son. Anthony looked back up towards the church exit and poured over his recollections of the conversation he'd just had, searching for clues. Yes, Rocksteady probably knew something. The priest suspected there was still unresolved guilt in his past, something the mutant wasn't ready to admit and face yet. It wasn't Anthony's place to guess what it might be but the possibility certainly seemed obvious. But forgiveness and healing is always a process, sometimes slower than we would like, but always powerful.

Anthony bowed his head and sent up a silent prayer to the heavens, thanking God for the opportunity he'd been given this night, and that Rocksteady would continue to be led towards a path that would bring him healing and peace in his soul. "Amen." The priest spoke quietly to himself, raising his head and smiling. "Be safe, my new friend. I look forward to our next meeting." He spoke, before turning and heading back to his office to finish his duties for the night.


	21. Epilogue: Rocksteady Now

-Epilogue -

Rocksteady Now

As Rocksteady entered the main dance room of the club, he felt a twinge of anxiety pass through him at the sight of the large open space. The place was only moderately full right now, mostly employees getting things ready and VIP guests like him who had arrived early, but that would change quickly when the doors opened to the public in half an hour. Rocksteady was getting better at handling public places and interactions with regular humans, but big crowds still made him a little uneasy, especially when he was with Angie.

Beside him, Angie had noticed his sudden change in demeanor and squeezed his arm gently. "Hey, don't let yourself get stressed. It's no big deal." She said sympathetically.

"Easy for you ta say." Rocksteady replied with a snort. "I aint used to clubs like dis."

"Yeah, I understand, just bear with it. I'm not exactly a party girl either." Angie replied. She squeezed his arm again and nodded towards the far side of the room. "We're here to support Bebop, remember?"

"Yeah, I know." Rocksteady replied and smiled apologetically. He looked up and across the room to where his best friend was helping set up the sound equipment for the night's events. Rocksteady caught Bebop's eye and waved, and the mutant warthog grinned and waved back briefly before turning to a young looking tech with a clipboard to confer about something. Rocksteady smiled to himself and lowered his hand. "I can't hardly believe he's come so far." He stated with a bit of awe.

Angie glanced at him sideways. "Don't you mean both of you have come so far?" She asked.

Rocksteady nodded and grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know, I know. But all I am is a construction guy." He looked around the room with wonder. "Not like dis."

Angie nodded and scratched her chin as if deep in thought. "Your right, DJ-ing a swanky new downtown club is certainly cooler than construction." She admitted. Rocksteady gave her a look and she smiled back and poked him in the side with her elbow. "But I still like you anyway, don't worry."

"Gee, Tanks." Rocksteady said a bit sarcastically.

Angie ran her fingers through her hair and made a disgusted face. "I think I'm going to go freshen up in the ladies room real quick. I barely had time to brush my hair or anything between work and this."

"I tink you look good." Rocksteady added quickly, maybe a bit too quickly. Angie gave him a quick "give me a break" look and he rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment. "Really, I mean it." he added lamely.

Angie sighed and shook her head. "You're hopeless. I'm definitely a mess. I'll be back in a minute ok?" she said.

"Ok." Rocksteady replied with a sigh, resigned to his fate.

Angie caught the obvious tone and turned around, smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. Try to mingle a little bit, expand your comfort zone."

"Like dat will happen." Rocksteady replied, but he smiled back and gave her a small wave, and Angie turned to head to the ladies room.

Rocksteady walked towards the edge of the open dance floor and leaned against a table, putting his hands in his pockets as he gazed around the room, looking at everyone already gathered. Just a whole lot of people he didn't know, except for a few employees and tech guys he'd met at some pre-opening things a few days ago. Bebop was going to be busy all night with the music so there sadly wouldn't be much time for them to hang out together. Angie had promised she wouldn't ditch him during the party, but now she was already off on her own. Man he hated situations like this. He was getting better with people, but this was something altogether different. His stomach gurgled with mild discomfort and he thought about hitting the bar for a beer, maybe that would help him relax a bit. His eyes turned towards the right side of the room where the refreshments were, and immediately spotted some familiar and welcome faces near the snack table. A toothy grin broke out on his face and he trotted towards the table. "Hey guys! You actually made it!" he called out happily, waving.

Four heads turned simultaneously. "Hey, Rocky my man! Long time no see." called Michelangelo, and the others smiled behind him. It was the mutant turtles; all dressed in their usual not so effective brown trench coat and fedora disguises.

Rocksteady high fived Michelangelo as he arrived. "Glad you guys could come." He stated enthusiastically.

"Of course we would try to be here. It's Bebop's big night." Leonardo said.

"And if you guys can have lives in the public eye, then why shouldn't we get to go to a few parties?" asked Raphael with an edge of annoyance.

"We can't stay all night though. We have patrol duty too." Donatello added.

"Dat's too bad.' Rocksteady replied, grabbing a beer from the large punch bowl full of ice on the table. "I hope you don't havta go too soon. Wit you guys here I'll have someone ta talk to besides Angie."

Raphael grinned sarcastically. "What, don't want to socialize, get out there and meet new people?" he asked.

"You kiddin!?" Rocksteady replied with a laugh. "If it weren't Bebop's opening night I definitely wouldn't be here. Dis ain't my ting."

Michelangelo clapped Rocksteady on the shoulder. "Well don't worry dude, we'll keep you company as long as we can. So…" He looked Rocksteady full in the eyes, with an expectant look on his face. "How have you been lately? Raphael, Leonardo and me missed you the last time you visited the lair."

Rocksteady took a long sip of his beer and then smiled wide. "It's been pretty good, can't complain. Work is going great. We just got a bunch of new hires and I'm getting to help train em! It's pretty cool. And my boss said pretty soon he might let me be foreman on a job."

"Wow Rocksteady, that's really cool!" Michelangelo replied.

Rocksteady took a swig of beer and nodded. "Yeah, it is. So, anyting new wit yous guys?" he asked.

Raphael rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Same old same old. A crime-fighter's life is never done."

"Shredder and Krang were back in our dimension a few weeks ago." Donatello added matter-of-factly.

Leonardo noticed the sudden distressed expression of Rocksteady's face and raised his hands. "Don't worry Rocksteady, we sent them packing pretty quickly. They're already back in Dimension X." he said reassuringly.

Rocksteady let out his held breath and smiled with relief. "Dat's good. Don't scare me like dat."

"It was pretty cool though!" Michelangelo exclaimed excitedly. " Donatello made a dimensional portal thingy and brought another set of alternate turtles here to help us, and then we got to hang out in their dimension awhile. It was totally rad!"

Raphael sniffed dismissively. "It wasn't that great, Michelangelo. The other team we met last year would have totally kicked their butts."

Rocksteady whistled to show his surprise. "Wow, pretty weird. Wonder if dey had dey're own Bebop and me in dere world." He mused.

"So…how are you doing with your…other issue?" Leonardo asked with a bit of a serious tone, changing the topic.

Rocksteady took another sip of his drink and thought for a moment, a bit of his enthusiasm falling away. "Pretty good I guess, compared to before at least. I aint sayin I'm cured or nuttin dough. Still struggle wit dat stuff on somedays more dan udders. But when I do I usually talk to Bebop or Fadder Antony at my church. They've been a big help." A thought suddenly came to Rocksteady's head. "Oh yeah, I have been doin some volunteer stuff at da church lately, that's been helping." He added.

"Really? That's pretty cool." Raphael replied, with a surprisingly un-sarcastic tone.

Rocksteady swallowed another sip of beer and nodded. "Yeah, Fadder Antony recommended it, and it has helped some." He crossed his arms and gazed out thoughtfully. "I know I aint supposed ta be doing it to feel like I'm "earnin" my second chance or sometin, just to help how I can." He took another sip and swallowed. "But I havta admit it definitely feels good to be useful." He glanced across the room to where Bebop was working and smirked. "I got Bebop ta help wit me a couple of times recently too. He acted kinda grouchy at first, but I could tell in da end he was glad he did it."

Leonardo smiled wide. "That's really cool Rocksteady." He patted the mutant affectionately on the arm. "It's hard to believe we're talking to the same guy who we used to fight not too long ago." Rocksteady beamed at the comment.

"So what kind of stuff do they have you doing?" asked Donatello

"Mostly maintenance and fixing stuff around the place." Rocksteady replied. "Da construction experience is payin off in dat area. Also I helped serve meals a coupla times." His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "Ooh, Oooh! And once dey let me watch a class of little kids while dere teacher had to run out for sometin. Dat was really neat! Da kids tought I was the coolest ting evah. Dey weren't afraid of me at all, and it was real fun to play games wit dem and stuff. I'd really like ta do it again."

"Sounds like you might be really good with kids." Michelangelo commented.

Rocksteady gave the turtle a funny look and then glanced at Donatello. "Um…yeah maybe." He said with suspicion.

Raphael snorted back a laugh and elbowed Rocksteady in the ribs as he walked by him. "Only because he has the mind of a kid. That's why he gets along with Tyler so well too." He snarked.

"Hey! I resemble dat remark." Rocksteady replied with mock indignation, though still smiled despite himself. He playfully made a grab at Raphael and the turtle laughed and dodged out of the way, around to the other side of the snack table. The other turtles laughed along and Rocksteady turned back, rubbing the back of his head with embarrassment and smiled. "Yeah, anyway, it was pretty cool watching da kids." He continued. Suddenly his smile dropped off and a more somber feeling came over him. "Dough…afterwards dere were a few parents who had some..."concerns" about it. Antony said dey probably won't assign me sometin like dat again for a while."

"Bummer dude. That really sucks." responded Michelangelo

Rocksteady sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I do kinda get it dough. I'm still pretty new dere, and I don't know everybody yet, but it seems like most people know dat I have a past. I can't really get mad at any parents for being cautious. But it still kinda hurt my feelings."

Donatello nodded. "Yeah, it can be tough. We've certainly seen people react negatively to us, even when we were obviously trying to help. Just something that happens. But don't worry; people will come around eventually, once they get to know you." He said with a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, dat's what Lance says." Rocksteady replied. "Just wish it could happen sooner."

"Who's Lance?" Michelangelo asked.

"He's my Barber." Rocksteady replied in a matter-of-fact tone. The four turtles stared at him like he'd just said the guy was his mortician.

Raphael finished a bite of pizza roll and stared at Rocksteady with incredulity. "You're Barber? What does he do, sharpen and shine your horn for you?" he asked.

Rocksteady laughed and shook his head. "Nah, it's pretty normal." He reached up and rubbed a hand across his face and neck. "I still grow hair on my face, ya know? Left over from when I was human I guess. So I found dis shop a couple of blocks away from our apartment and I started going dere once a week or so to get a shave." He smiled with a bit of excitement. "It's super neat! Dey use hot towels and a brush and straight razor and everytin, just like you see da mafia guys gettin in da movies. Da most relaxin ting I've done. Lance is da owner of da joint. He kinda looks like a mafia guy too, but he's really nice! We hit it off pretty quick and now we're friends. We have lunch togedder sometimes, when our breaks line up." He chuckled to himself. "Sometimes he lets me come in and take a nap in his chair if he don't got customers waitin on him."

"Wow, that's pretty cool Rocksteady." Donatello chimed in. "Sounds like you're really getting used to doing regular human stuff again."

Raphael crossed his arms and frowned. "Yeah, now I'm getting jealous." He glared at Leonardo. "So why do we still live in the sewers again?" Leonardo shot him back a stern "we'll discuss that later" look and Raphael rolled his eyes and picked up another pizza roll.

Rocksteady sighed and looked back at the dance floor with apprehension. More people were starting to pour into the area as party time drew closer. "Yeah, a lot of good dat is doin right now. Still don't feel comfortable bein here." He replied.

"Hey, there's Angie." Leonardo exclaimed, pointing across the room.

Rocksteady turned his head and spotted her walking towards the corner with the sound equipment to talk to Bebop. At that moment something occurred to him and turned towards Donatello and motioned him forward with his hand. Donatello stepped away from the other turtles and came closer. "Hey um…Donatello right?" he asked tentatively and the turtle cracked a smile and nodded. Rocksteady sighed inside and gave a small smile. He still had trouble keeping their names straight. He leaned forward and spoke in a quieter tone. "Um…before Angie comes over here, I wanted to ask if you had any results yet." he asked.

Raphael looked at the two mutants attempting a secretive conversation and smirked. "Hey, Donatello, is he asking you about those weird tests you were doing?" he asked in a loud voice. Rocksteady looked up at him, his eyes wide with shock and Raphael smirked wider. "That's pretty cute; Rocksteady thinks the rest of us didn't find out." He stated sarcastically.

Rocksteady looked to Michelangelo and Leonardo. The two turtles smiled apologetically and shrugged. Rocksteady looked back at Donatello, feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment. "I asked you not to tell anyone else." He said with hurt in his voice.

Donatello smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I'm sorry Rocksteady. I tried to keep it a secret, but they all kind of butted in while I was running the tests. I'm sorry." He repeated.

"It's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, dude." Michelangelo replied supportively.

"Yeah, Rocksteady. We all think it's great that you're looking ahead and trying to plan for the future." Leonardo added.

Rocksteady felt a little bit placated, but he was still irritated. He gave the other turtles a disapproving look before turning back to Donatello. Nervousness got the better of him and he began fidgeting with his hands. "So uh…what did ya find out?"

Donatello shook his head. "I'm sorry Rocksteady, but the tests were ultimately inconclusive. The truth is I have no idea if it would be biologically possible for you and Angie to have kids, or if you're mutation would be passed down if you did."

Rocksteady felt his heart drop. "Oh, I see." He replied with disappointment.

Donatello patted the mutant on the arm sympathetically. "Hey, don't lose hope. I didn't say it was impossible either. I still have a few other tests I can run too. Just don't worry about it for now, ok?"

Rocksteady nodded, but he still felt kind of down in the dumps about the answer. He quickly took a long drink of his beer, finishing the beverage off, and tried to think about something else.

Michelangelo approached excitement in his eyes. "So, have you asked her yet!?" he inquired.

Rocksteady smiled, glad to steer the conversation to a slightly different issue. "Nah, not yet. Still haven't found da right moment. But…" he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small dark blue velvet box. It looked comically small in his beefy hand as he held it out towards the Turtles and pulled the lid open. "I've been carrying dis around wit me for a few weeks now." he finished.

The turtles all crowded in close to examine the ring, oohing and aahing with appropriate respect, the loudest sounds coming from Michelangelo. "That's pretty nice, Rocksteady." Leonardo said finally as the group stepped back.

"Tanks." Rocksteady replied as he put the box back in his pocket, glancing around to make sure Angie wasn't approaching. "It aint dat fancy really, couldn't afford it udderwise. Had to save up a few paychecks and Bebop lent me a little cash too. Now I just gotta find da right time."

"Congratulations dude!" Michelangelo responded enthusiastically, slapping Rocksteady on the shoulder. "I'm sure she'll say yes."

"The right time will come along soon, don't worry." Leonardo added.

"Yeah, I sure hope so." Rocksteady replied. He reached behind to the snack table and grabbed three pizza rolls in his hand without looking. "I'm gonna go hook back up with Angie now." He said, taking a bite out of one roll. "I'll see ya guys later, ok?" he finished, mouth half full. The turtles nodded and said their goodbyes, and Rocksteady headed across the room to link up with his girlfriend.

* * *

Rocksteady sighed and swallowed another bite of pizza roll as he stared out at the crowded dance floor, the flashing colors of the strobing club lights playing off the walls and floors and forms of the partygoers moving to the music. He impatiently looked at his watch and then glanced around the room, searching for Angie. She had left him again a few songs back to do some dancing and he was starting to get a little antsy. He'd spent most of the party so far being a wallflower and hanging around the snack table. He'd already had his quota of three beers for the night, and his endurance for this event was starting to seriously wane. They'd done their duty to come and support Bebop, but now he was about ready to leave.

Finally he spotted Angie coming back towards him and felt a wave of relief. Maybe they could finally get out of here now. "Are you about ready to go soon?" he asked a bit grumpily as she arrived.

Angie glanced at her watched and nodded. "Yeah, pretty soon now. It is getting late." She looked up at him and smiled warmly, grabbing his wrist in both her hands. "But you still owe me a dance. Remember, you promised."

Rocksteady looked at her skeptically. "I did?"

Angie rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, you did, this morning in fact, when we talked on the phone."

Rocksteady thought for a minute and recalled the full conversation. His heart sank as he remembered the truth. "Oh yeah, dat's right, I did." He looked up at the crowded dance floor apprehensively, feeling his heart beat quicken. "Do I really havta?" he asked a bit pitifully.

Angie looked at him with a bit of disappointment in her eyes. "No, of course I can't force you. But you did promise, and I know you actually want to, I've been watching you watch the party all night." She squeezed his wrist gently and turned to look out at the dance floor. "It will be alright, no one is going to freak out or think twice about you being out there, people care a lot less about the whole "mutant thing" than you're worried they do." She nodded towards Bebop at his place by the music equipment. "Heck probably a lot of them come here because they think it's cool a mutant is the DJ, they won't mind you."

Rocksteady wanted to give in, but apprehension still plagued him. "I don't know. I've seen a few people starin at me and givin me funny looks tonight." He admitted, scanning the crowd. "And dis really aint my kinda song anyway." He added quickly.

Angie smiled and gave him a sly look. "Well…about that." She said mysteriously.

Rocksteady prepared to ask her what she meant when Bebop's voice came over the loud speakers. "I hope everyone's having a great night out dere." He exclaimed, and was met by a wave of cheers from the patrons. "Dese next two songs are for my best buddy Rocksteady, on behalf of his girlfriend. I'm sure many of you have seen him around tonight, he's kinda hard to miss."

Bebop looked up and waved in Rocksteady's direction and the mutant saw half the audience turn in his direction. Heat came to his cheeks as Rocksteady felt so many pairs of eyes on him and he growled under his breath. "Bebop, what are ya doin?" he muttered to himself, staring back across the room at him with annoyance.

Bebop didn't seem to catch his friend's mood, or if he did he didn't show it. The warthog smiled jovially and punched a few buttons on his console. "Dere both here to support me on my big night, and I'm really grateful for it. My pal's a little shy about dese here social tings, and his girl wanted to see if we could find sometin to help him break out of his shell, sometin encouragin." He looked up at the audience in front of him. "I know to a crowd like you, our mutant ting aint no big deal, so show you're encouragement if you like." He turned his gaze back towards Rocksteady directly and smiled. "So here we go. Dis song is for you, pal, from Angie."

Rocksteady turned his head towards Angie, an accusatory look on his face. Angie smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but I just really wanted to help you have some fun. You looked so down in the dumps over here by yourself."

Over the speaking the music began and Rocksteady recognized it from the very first notes of it's 80s synth beat. He rolled his eyes and let out a small groan. "Dis song? Really?" he asked Angie incredulous.

Angie giggled lightly and nodded. "Yeah, cheesy I know. But it's movie history's iconic "learning to dance" music. And…" she squeezed his arm affectionately and leaned in close to him, looking up into his eyes. "It's true too. It's exactly how I feel about you." She said flirtatiously.

Rocksteady blushed slightly at her flirtatious demeanor and then looked up at the dance floor. He swallowed and thought hard for a moment. It was true, he had kind of been thinking it would be fun to dance after all, but he'd been too nervous and self-conscious to consider it. There were still many eyes looking his way and he felt his nervousness return. "It's embarrassin…" Rocksteady replied meekly.

"There's nothing to be worried about. No one is going to have a problem with it." Angie stated encouragingly. She pulled his arm gently towards the dance floor, where most people were already starting to move to the beat. "Come, on, just one dance, that's all, then we can go if you still really want to."

Over the speakers the clear voice of singer came in, and Angie beamed wider as she began to sing along with the lyrics, looking at Rocksteady as if trying to convey the song directly to him.

 _-My baby, he don't talk sweet, He ain't got much to say. But he loves me, loves me, loves me, I know that he loves me anyway. And maybe he don't dress fine, but I don't really mind.-_

Rocksteady rolled his eyes again but couldn't help smiling as he felt a warmth come over him. He sighed and reluctantly let Angie pull him towards the dance floor. Over the speakers the song broke into its rousing chorus and Rocksteady heard many others in the crowd singing along as well.

 _-'Cause every time he pulls me near, I just wanna cheer, Let's hear it for the boy! Oh, let's give the boy a hand. Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand. Oh, maybe he's no Romeo, but he's my lovin' one-man show. Oh, whoa oh oh!, let's hear it for the boy!-_

The crowds parted around them, and Rocksteady caught many smiles and looks of amusement on the people's faces as they passed, and felt his cheeks begin to glow with warmth. "Angie, I really don't know bout dis." He protested as the two of them stopped a few yards off from the center of the crowd.

Angie turned and faced him smiling as she began to dance. "Don't worry, just move to the rhythm, and do whatever you want. There really aren't any rules. It's fun, come on." She stated as she began to dance. All around him the crowds of people were dancing and moving along to the music, clapping their hands or snapping to the beat. He saw a few couples looking his way and smiling, heard a few cheers and shouts of encouragement sent towards him and Angie, and Rocksteady slowly began to feel his reluctance and apprehensions melt away piece by piece. Slowly he began to bob along with the beat and a smile started to spread across his face. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Angie smiled back encouragingly at him and moved along with him. As the next verse began she leaned up towards him and sang along softly in his ear, Causing Rocksteady to blush brighter.

 _-My baby may not be rich, he's watchin' every dime. But he loves me, loves me, loves me, we always have a real good time-_

She stepped back, blushing and laughing herself as she grabbed his hands and pulled him forward to dance along with her.

 _-And maybe he sings off-key, but that's alright by me, yeah. 'Cause what he does, he does so well, makes me wanna yell! Let's hear it for the boy! Oh, let's give the boy a hand. Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand. Oh, maybe he's no Romeo, but he's my lovin' one-man show. Oh, whoa oh oh!, let's hear it for the boy!-_

A small circle of watching patrons had formed around Rocksteady and Angie, everyone clapping along and stomping their feet to the rhythm. Rocksteady heard a shout of "Go, Rhinoman!" from somewhere on his left, answered by a few other calls of encouragement from the right, and finally just gave in completely to the music. He clumsily tried to move his feet like he remembered from that scene in the movie and stumbled a bit, laughing as he did. A few people hooted and whistled as he regained his balance and he smiled sheepishly and grabbed Angie's hand again, pulling her into a spin. The girl laughed and followed along, the two of them dancing together with no more reluctance or hesitation. Rocksteady grinned widely, feeling immense joy come over him and the warmth of his connection with Angie. This really was pretty fun! Around them the crowd cheered supportively as he spun her again, as the chorus came back strong.

 _-'Cause every time he pulls me near, I just wanna cheer, let's hear it for the boy! Oh, let's give the boy a hand. Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand. Oh, maybe he's no Romeo, but he's my lovin' one-man show. Oh, whoa oh oh!, let's hear it for the boy!-_

As the music began to wind down Angie fell against Rocksteady's chest, laughing, and he put his arms around her as he heard more cheers and whistles from around him. Someone even patted him on the shoulder from behind and he heard a "good going man" as he helped Angie regain her feet, blushing madly. "See, I told you it would be alright." She stated, breathing a little hard.

"Yeah, you were right." Rocksteady replied, wiping a fist across his brow. He was sweating pretty good now. "Da next song better not be "Almost Paradise" dough, or I'm really out of here." He joked. Over the speakers the music faded away and then the next song began, the slower funky drum beat opening was instantly recognizable to the mutant, and he laughed out loud and gave Angie an incredulous look. "Dis song too?" he asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Bebop said you really like it, and I remember it got brought up on our first date and I thought "what the hell"." Angie replied. Then she looked at him with a bit more of a flirtatious eye. "Plus, I did kind of think the lyrics fit us, just a little."

"Besides the obvious connection, of course?" Rocksteady asked.

"Of course." Angie replied. She gazed up into his eyes as she began to dance to the beat. Rocksteady shook his head again with a bit of exasperation and began to move along. It was true; he did really like this song. Its sound dredged up powerful nostalgic memories as he listened along to the lyrics.

 _-I looked at you, You stole my heart, you were all that I anticipated. I wanted you - Every part, but I knew love would be complicated. I began to touch - But you wouldn't let it! It never seemed to be the right time. I started to give up - down to the limit! And then you changed your mind! And we begin to Rock…Steady! Steady-rockin all night long. And we begin to Rock…steady! Rockin till the break of dawn! Rock...Steady! steady rockin' all night long. Rock…Steady! rockin' till the break of dawn!-_

As they danced, Rocksteady watched Angie with a close eye. The movement of her body, the swish of her hair, the sparkle of the lights reflected in her eyes, and felt great emotion welling up inside him. He thought of all the experiences they'd had since first meeting all those months ago, the ups and the downs, the misunderstandings and the mistakes that could have torn them apart. And yet they were still here, against all odds. He still just couldn't believe it, and it nearly brought tears to his eyes at that moment. She looked so beautiful dancing and moving in the dim of the room, surrounded by all these people. Having fun, temporarily forgetting the world and its cares. And he was here with her. He felt like the luckiest person on the planet. All of this went through his mind at light speed in only a few moments, and he made his decision.

 _-You looked at me, to my surprise, you were too anticipating. I should have known - It was in your eyes, that you were gettin tired of waiting. You wanted me so much - But I didn't get it! How could a fellow be so blind? I started to give up - But love wouldn't let it! Then you walked into my life.-_

They danced in front of each other, clapping their hands along with the beat of the chorus, but it was like they were the only ones in the room now. They looked into each other's eyes thinking of nothing else.

 _-And we begin to Rock…Steady! Steady-rockin all night long. And we begin to Rock…steady! Rockin till the break of dawn! Rock...Steady! steady rockin' all night long. Rock…Steady! rockin' till the break of dawn!-_

Rocksteady reached out and grabbed Angie's hand firmly in his. "Come on." He said a bit forcefully and began to lead her off the dance floor towards a less crowded area.

"Hey, what's up? Is something wrong?" she asked with a bit of surprise and worry in her voice. Rocksteady ignored her question and kept going until they reached an empty space near a group of tables.

They stopped and Angie stared at Rocksteady with confusion and concern on her face, but the mutant didn't seem to notice. He glanced around nervously, taking note that there were still a few groups of people watching them, but he quickly realized that he didn't care. Over the bobbing heads of the crowd he spotted Bebop looking in their direction and the warthog flashed him a big grin and a thumbs up sign. Feeling warmth and confidence come over him, Rocksteady gave a slight nod towards his friend and then turned back to face Angie. Clumsily he lowered himself down onto one knee and held Angie's hand between both of his, looking slightly upward into her face. The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she began to realize what was happening. Over the speakers the song continued to play in the background, giving a soundtrack to their moment.

 _-You wanted me so much, but I didn't get it! How could a fellow be so blind? I started to give up but love wouldn't let it! And you walked into my life, oh!-_

"Angie you're one of da best ting's dat's evah happened to me in my life. I'm crazy about you and Tyler both! Tyler's just like a little brudder to me, and you…you…" He sniffed loudly and smiled as he felt a tear coming to his eye. He reached into his right hand pocket and pulled out the box he'd been carrying for so many weeks. He pulled back the lid and held the box out so Angie could see the contents. The lights of the dance floor played off the stone and the gold band, making it sparkle. "I want us to always be togedder, no matter what! A real family!" He looked up into her eyes, his heart racing a mile a minute, his heart hopeful and full of love. "So…what do ya say?"

For a moment Angie's face showed only great surprise at having been caught off guard by the question right in the middle of the party. Then slowly, a huge smile began to creep over her face. Without warning she lunged forward and threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, whispering her answer into his ear enthusiastically. Rocksteady's heart felt like it would burst for joy, he wrapped his arms around the girl he loved and lifted her off her feet, holding her tightly, never wanting to let go, spinning her around as the song of his youth continued to play all around him.

 _-And we begin to Rock…Steady! Steady-rockin all night long. And we begin to Rock…steady! Rockin till the break of dawn! Rock...Steady! steady rockin' all night long. Rock…Steady! rockin' till the break of dawn!-_

-The End-

* * *

-And that's it! The end of the story! I hope everyone who read it enjoyed it. Yeah the last chapter was cheesy, but I seriously had both of those songs stuck in my head for this situation for a long time. I hope it turned out ok, not really the best at writing a dance scene. I'm glad I finally finished, it was a somewhat difficult task. For you see, in the middle of only the 2nd chapter of the fic, I encountered a bit of an...obstacle, at least in my own psyche. Forgive the spoilers in advance, but I'm sure most relatively well informed TMNT fans who aren't living under rocks would have caught wind of the rather...shocking plot twist that occurred in issue #44 of IDWs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series (and by the time this publishes there may have been more, I can't see the future). Namely the fact that in said issue Rocksteady and Bebop brutally murdered Donatello (until we found out not, but still). I know most *normal* people would probably think it silly or unhealthy of me, but I honestly had a rather bad reaction to that; both for the, apparent at the time, death of one of the turtles (which has never permanently occurred in any version of the franchise I'm familiar with) and the fact that it was those two mutants who did it. I mean these are the guys who also saved the multiverse by accident in Turtles Forever! I know IDW is a different series with its own take on all the characters, and it's set up to be all gritty and realistic and all that, but it still almost felt like a crossed line to part of me. I've now come to understand a bit more how some people will get upset about new gritty reboots to their beloved childhood franchises. Or what Jason David Frank was saying about that "Power/Ranger" R-rated fan movie. Even if it's a separate self contained continuity, that event in a way changed how I saw those three characters in the franchise as a whole. I know that sounds bizarre, but it's true. After #44, I actually found it difficult to work on my fanfic at all for several days; it was suddenly hard for me to slip back into thinking of Bebop and Rocky as their "bumbling, failure prone, 80s selves" after THAT. And I was also upset over the very real and probable possibility of those two mutants being killed themselves in a future issue of the comic, probably by the remaining 3 turtles and Splinter seeking retribution. Despite what they did, I would still be very upset if they died, in any continuity; They're my favorite characters! And I guess that's what finally got me back full circle to continuing the fic, because I was writing a story about redemption and healing and forgiveness, and I would really hope that even if 80s Rocky and Bebop had gone that far that they could have still turned around, that it could even be possible for the IDW versions of them. I tried to bring that sentiment in to the story later, and kind of *work out* my feelings about this incident, I hope it came across. And now I'm done being all depressing and serious, I promise. Thanks for reading my story. If you want some other good Rocksteady and Bebop TMNT fanfics (they're kind of hard to find ^^) I would highly recommend checking out IndigoYeti's "The Long Road" or One Small Monkey's "Grips" (which is like the best fic ever!) Both were partial inspirations for trying to write my own TMNT fic, and I'm sure I didn't come even close to being as good. Oh and I hope I didn't end up offending anyone or chasing too many people away by having more overt spiritual elements in the story. I didn't intend to force my beliefs on anyone or anything, but I just felt like it worked for the story I wanted to tell. And I would bet there is going to be someone who will point out the few "discrepancies" in my story, so I thought I'd address them here. Yes I know that Chris Daughtry's song "Rescue Me" did not exist yet in the mid 90s when the storyline would take place, but I chose the song based on how it sounded and the lyrics and the meaning it called up in my mind, so I don't really care ^^. If you want an "in-story" explanation for why that song played I guess I would just say "God did it". And you might have noticed that I fudged with Bebop and Rocksteady's size relative to the other characters. In the original show they were actually both pretty short (most human characters were taller than them) but I guess I got used to their much larger character designs from IDW and 2012, and just thought of the two of them as being much larger. I originally had a hand-wavy in-universe explanation thought up for why they got bigger (basically, the mutastones from the TMNT anime OVA had a side effect of making them grow larger, and yes I have seen that anime ^^) but I couldn't figure out any descent place in the story for that to get mentioned, so it ended up being left out, except that little bit before they go into the pizza parlor. But that's the reason why the two of them are described as being so big in this fic, if you were curious. And that's it I guess. This has been the longest fanfic I have ever written, and it took me over a year. I even ended up with a "bonus chapter" that I will publish separately. So if you enjoyed this fic, please also read the side story chapter "Lather and Nothing Else" that I also uploaded. See you next time, with whatever fanfic I end up writing. Seems like I can never predict when the urge will strike me so I have no idea when or if that might be. But when it happens, I hope there will be people there to read it! Goodnight!-


End file.
